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Multiple people sentenced for thefts in Alpena

ALPENA — A second chance squandered by a 20-year-old Ossineke man led to a prison sentence on Monday in Alpena’s 26th District Court.

Gary Wise was arrested in September 2017 after stealing phones from two vehicles, a five-year felony. Also charged with 10 counts of breaking and entering into vehicles in Alpena County, Wise pleaded guilty and was sentenced in March 2018 to six months’ jail time, with credit for time served, and two years’ probation.

In January of this year, while under probation, Wise was again arrested, this time for breaking into three homes in Sanborn Township, including the home of a neighbor. Footprints from the neighbor’s house led from that home back to Wise’s residence.

Wise was also charged with breaking parole by having contact with those whom he knew to be engaging in illegal behavior, including Noah McBride, who in late January was the subject of a Crime Stoppers manhunt that resulted in tips leading to his arrest on sexual assault charges.

Wise pleaded guilty to three counts of second-degree home invasion and was sentenced Monday by Judge Michael Mack to 25 months to 15 years in prison for the home invasions.

After a pre-sentence statement by Wise indicating his jail time has been a learning and growing experience, his attorney, Bill Pfeifer, assured the court that his client had given serious thought to the consequences of his actions while behind bars since his more recent arrest.

“It probably would have been better if he had reflected on it the first time he was in jail,” Pfeifer conceded.

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Also in the 26th Circuit Court on Monday, Donald Woodham, of Alpena, was sentenced to two to 15 years in prison for thefts that occurred in February. Woodham pleaded guilty to stealing tools, a tablet, and miscellaneous items from an Alpena church and attempting to break into several Alpena homes and a garage with the intent to steal.

Charges also included assaulting or resisting a police officer.

Upon sentencing him to time in state prison, Mack referenced the three felonies and 16 misdemeanors on Woodhams’ record.

“This is a person that needs to go to prison,” Mack said.

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An Alpena woman was sentenced on Monday to 90 days in jail for her role in the theft and illegal use of credit cards at Alpena businesses.

Tara Beauvais, 33, pleaded guilty to stealing a woman’s purse in September 2018 and giving the contents to her husband, Jacob Beauvais, who in April leaded guilty to five counts of financial transaction device theft.

Tara Beauvais apologized to the court, adding that her husband was on-track to have committed the crime, regardless of her contribution.

Alpena County Prosecutor Ed Black pointed out that, as the person who committed the initial theft, she’s the reason why her husband was able to do the damage that he did.

Jacob Beauvais was scheduled for sentencing Monday but has been jailed in Montmorency County and was unavailable to come to court.

Julie Riddle can be reached at 989-358-5693 or jriddle@thealpenanews.com.

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