Gray pleads no contest

News Photo by Temi Fadayomi Defendant Christopher Gray is sworn in on-screen via Zoom as he prepares to plead no contest in circuit court on Monday. His attorney Rick Steiger is seen present in the courtroom.
ALPENA — In Alpena County Circuit Court on Monday, 33-year-old Alpena man, Christopher Gray, pled no contest to sexually assaulting a minor.
Gray was facing one count of criminal sexual conduct in the first degree with someone under the age of 13, and one count of criminal sexual conduct, assault with the intent to commit sexual penetration.
A no-contest plea avoids the admission of guilt for the charges but accepts the conviction.
Gray appeared in court on Monday via Zoom with his attorney Rick Steiger representing him in the courtroom.
In pleading no contest, Gray had his assault with intent to commit sexual penetration charge dropped and had his minimum time in prison set at 15 years.
“In agreement that there would be a minimum of a 15-year sentence, the remaining charges would be dismissed,” Circuit Court Judge Ed Black said reciting the plea deal to Gray.
Due to Gray’s claim of having no memory of the event due to drug use at the time, Black read the police report of the incident to provide a factual placement for the plea.
With the plea accepted, the court scheduled Gray’s sentencing for Sept. 3.
According to a press release from the Alpena Police Department, Gray was first arrested on Feb. 21 after officers responded to a disturbance call which ultimately led to interviewing victims of the assault. Gray was arraigned in the 88th District Court on Feb. 26.
On April 12, Gray underwent a competency hearing to see if he was competent enough to stand trial for his charges. The district court ultimately found Gray competent enough to stand trial and on April 24 Gray was bound to circuit court.
Also in court on Monday:
∫A brief status conference on the legal proceedings for Aaron Pokorzynski, who faces two separate cases of criminal sexual conduct, was held.
Pokorzynski, a former tennis instructor in Alpena, is charged with multiple counts of criminal sexual conduct. The first case, assigned in 2023, involves three counts of criminal sexual conduct in the first degree. These charges are based on allegations that Pokorzynski had sexual intercourse with a 15-year-old girl in 2012 while serving as her tennis instructor. The second case, assigned in 2024, includes one charge of criminal sexual conduct in the second degree, related to a separate individual who was also his student.
During the status conference, Pokorzynski’s attorney Matt Wojda mentioned issues related to the discovery of documents.
“There are some documents that haven’t yet been produced for us, and we’re waiting on them from law enforcement at this point,” Wojda said. “Nobody’s at fault. Nobody’s done anything wrong. We’re waiting for them.”
Wojda also mentioned filing a motion to suppress the bind over for some of the counts late last week. This motion is scheduled for a hearing on Aug. 9.
“I filed a motion to quash the bind over as to some of the counts late last week that’s scheduled for hearing,” Wojda said. “I believe, on August 9. The court is trying to coordinate any foreseeable other motions to also be heard on that date. So the prosecutor may have some motions, and we have made some motions to be heard on August 9. We’ll handle where we are from a discovery standpoint at that point.”
Temi Fadayomi can be reached at 989-358-5693 or tfadayomi@thealpenanews.com.