GAYLORD — A Gaylord man agreed to plead guilty to a charge of assault with intent to do great bodily harm less than murder as a habitual 4th offender following an incident last May in Hayes Township.
Under terms of a plea agreement with the Otsego County Prosecuting Attorney Office, Jeremiah Handrich pled guilty to the charge on Monday, Sept. 18 in Otsego County Circuit Court before Judge George Mertz. In return, prosecutors dropped a charge of assault with intent to commit murder.
The agreement also calls for the court to sentence him to the top end of the guidelines for the assault with intent to do great bodily harm charge.
Handrich was accused of assaulting a man after the Otsego County Sheriff’s Office said deputies were summoned to Munson Otsego Memorial Hospital for a complaint in the early morning hours of May 27.
The deputies met a man who had been beaten and was suffering from injuries. Deputies went to a home in Hayes Township and found Handrich.
Handrich has several previous felony convictions, including an assault of a police officer and a domestic violence offense involving the assault of a pregnant individual.
Separately, Nathaniel Barrera of Gaylord pled not guilty to assault with intent to do great bodily harm less than murder and child abuse fourth degree.
In July the mother of a victim of an alleged assault that occurred last year contacted the Michigan State Police Gaylord Post to file a report. The victim recently disclosed to the parent that they had been assaulted in the past.
A forensic interview was conducted at the Northern Michigan Children’s Assessment Center in Roscommon. The child alleged Nathaniel Barrera from Gaylord would have her lie on her stomach, with her arms behind her back,and then he would force a sock in her mouth, preventing her from breathing. He is accused of doing thison several occasions while she was with him at a relative’s home. The victim also made allegations ofanimal cruelty.
His bond was set at 10% of $10,000 by Mertz on Monday.
This article originally appeared on The Petoskey News-Review: Agreement leads to guilty plea on assault charge for Gaylord man