×

Man sentenced to at least 10 years in rape case

News Photo by Julie Riddle Jeremiah McLean waits beside attorney Ron Bayot in Alpena’s 26th Circuit Court on Tuesday. McLean pleaded no contest to raping a minor.

ALPENA — A man will spend at least 10 years behind bars after accepting a plea deal in the sexual assault of an Alpena teen.

Though declaring himself innocent, Jeremiah McLean on Tuesday pleaded no contest to accusations that he bound, raped, and strangled a 15-year-old girl at an Alpena cemetery in June.

The News does not identify victims of sexual assault.

At the request of the girl’s family, Judge Ed Black sentenced McLean to 10 years in prison, far short of the 18 years recommended by the Michigan Department of Corrections and the life sentence possible with a first-degree rape charge.

Last month, McLean rejected a plea deal that would probably have led to a 13-year sentence.

The girl’s family’s willingness to accept a plea agreement to the lesser charge is a testimony to that family’s strength, Black told McLean at a Tuesday hearing in Alpena’s 26th Circuit Court.

“They’re giving you an opportunity,” Black told McLean “I hope that sinks in.”

When asked if he understood the charges to which he was pleading, McLean told the court, “I understand, but I didn’t do that [expletive].”

In a no-contest plea, a defendant agrees to not fight charges but doesn’t admit guilt. For sentencing purposes, a no-contest plea is treated as a guilty plea.

McLean was arrested in June after the teenager said he tied her to a tree, hit her in the face, choked her, and threatened to kill her if she didn’t submit to him, according to police reports.

McLean also raped her several times, the girl said.

McLean will serve at least 10 and no more than 35 years in prison. He must register for the sex offender registry and is subject to lifetime monitoring.

Meanwhile, Tony Parris, accused of sexually assaulting a minor girl, fought for a lower bond on Tuesday after a judge sent him back behind bars, demanding $500,000 cash for his release.

According to a witness at a District Court hearing earlier this month, Parris regularly sexually assaulted the girl over three years and physically punished her if she didn’t comply.

Parris, who was released after posting 10% of a $100,000 bond after his arrest in early January, was sent back to jail on Friday, his bond increased to $500,000 cash or surety by Judge Thomas LaCross of Alpena’s 88th District Court.

The bond increase was sparked by unexpected information that came out at the District Court hearing, leading to more serious charges than originally levied against Parris, explained Alpena County Prosecutor Cynthia Muszynski.

On Tuesday, Black in the 26th Circuit Court considered a motion by defense attorney Alan Curtis to have the bond lowered to something Parris may be able to pay.

In his years of working in Alpena courts, no other defendant in his memory has been asked to pay $500,000 cash to get out of jail, although some defendants have been denied bond altogether, Black said.

An increased bond amount was fitting because of the more serious charges, but, given the court’s prior practice, a more achievable bond would be more appropriate, Black said.

Black lowered Parris’s bond to $150,000, cash or surety. As of Tuesday night, he was still lodged in the Alpena County Jail.

Parris, a former captain at the Wilson Township Fire Department, was put on unpaid leave at the time of his arrest and terminatead last week.

Newsletter

Today's breaking news and more in your inbox

I'm interested in (please check all that apply)
Are you a paying subscriber to the newspaper? *
   

Starting at $4.62/week.

Subscribe Today