Woman, 75, pleads to brandishing a firearm.

Seng

By Allison Scarbrough. OCP Editor.

HART — The 75-year-old Hesperia woman who displayed a handgun during a property dispute with several fishermen in the White River last month pleaded guilty to one misdemeanor count of brandishing a firearm in 78th District Court Monday, April 4.

Wilma Louise Seng, of 4445 S. 198th Ave., will not be sentenced to jail, but must forfeit all of her firearms, said Oceana County Prosecutor Joseph Bizon.

“The main interest is in making sure this doesn’t happen again,” Bizon said. “We were disturbed that she introduced a gun. We discussed it with the victims, and they were in agreement of the arrangement in making sure she doesn’t have any guns.”

If Seng, who was initially charged with three counts of felonious assault, is found in possession of a gun, her misdemeanor conviction could be withdrawn and felony charges could be reinstated, Bizon said.

The incident occurred on the edge of 198th Avenue near Hawley Road in Newfield Township, where a group of approximately five men were wading in the White River, steelhead fishing, according to Lt. Craig Mast of the Oceana County Sheriff’s Office.

“They were contacted by (Seng) who demanded they get off the property,” Mast said previously. “She had some words with them.”

Seng then returned to her nearby residence, and the fisherman told police they heard gunshots coming from the site. The men then left the area, but later returned. As they were standing at the edge of the road, removing their waders, Seng approached them in a vehicle and displayed a handgun, Mast said.

After deputies took the complaint, they went to Seng’s home and interviewed her. She admitted to confronting the fishermen and later displaying the gun, but she did not admit to pointing the gun at them, Mast said.

Seng was released from the Oceana County Jail on a $5,000 personal recognizance bond.

In addition to relinquishing the firearms, Seng’s sentence will include fines and costs, Bizon said. The maximum penalty for a conviction of brandishing a firearm is 90 days in jail.