Parolee with 25 prior convictions faces return to prison for home invasion.

Riggs appears in 27th Circuit Court via Zoom video conferencing.

Parolee with 25 prior convictions faces return to prison for home invasion.

By Allison Scarbrough, Editor.

HART — A 46-year-old Hart man pleaded guilty in 27th Circuit Court Monday, Jan. 11, to second-degree home invasion and fourth-offense habitual offender.

Chad Mitchell Riggs, of 6749 W. Taylor Rd., faces a minimum prison term of up to five years, and Judge Robert D. Springstead will set his maximum term at the time of sentencing.

Riggs’ long criminal history raises his maximum possible sentence to life in prison, said Judge Springstead. Sentencing guidelines are 29-114 months for the minimum term.

Riggs, who is lodged in the Oceana County Jail, appeared for his pretrial hearing via Zoom video conferencing due to COVID-19. 

Because Riggs was on parole at the time of the offense, he will not receive credit for the time he has spent in jail, and his sentence will be served consecutively to any parole sanctions he receives, said Judge Springstead.

He was on parole for a 2017 conviction of felonious assault in Oceana County in which he was sentenced to 18 months to 15 years.

Riggs has 11 previous felony convictions and 14 prior misdemeanor convictions, said Judge Robert D. Springstead. Riggs’s felony convictions include home invasion (four convictions), car theft (two convictions), breaking and entering, receiving and concealing stolen property, larceny in a building, felonious assault, and assaulting/resisting/obstructing police, said Oceana County Prosecutor Joseph Bizon. 

Riggs testified Monday that on Nov. 1 or 2 he broke into a house in Benona Township and stole a TV. 

“It looked like no one was home,” he said. He drove his truck to the location; broke out a window; and stole the TV. 

“They had me on camera,” he told Judge Springstead about how he was caught. 

Sentencing is set for March 8 at 11:15 a.m.

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