Jorge Soriano Benitez, center, appears in 79th District Court with interpreter Eduardo Romero, at right, and defense attorney Tim Hayes, at left. Det. Mark Hiddema with the Oceana County Sheriff’s Office is pictured in the background.
By Allison Scarbrough, News Editor
HART — Two Shelby men accused of robbing the La Mexicana De Pancho grocery store at gunpoint the evening of Dec. 13 appeared in Oceana County’s 79th District Court Tuesday, Jan. 14.
Jorge Soriano Benitez, 38, and Miguel Angel Vargas-Mares, 23, both waived their preliminary exams and pleaded not guilty to charges of armed robbery, which is punishable by up to life in prison, and felony firearms. They are both lodged in the Oceana County Jail on $500,000 cash/surety bonds.
“Waiving your preliminary exam means the case is transferred to circuit court,” said Judge John Middlebrook.
Both men appeared with their court-appointed attorneys, Julie Springstead and Tim Hayes. Court-appointed interpreter Eduardo Romero translated the dialogue from English to Spanish for the two defendants.
Miguel Angel Vargas-Mares signs paperwork as his attorney Julie Springstead and interpreter Eduardo Romero look on.
“We have a written offer, and based on the offer, we are prepared to waive the examination,” said Hayes.
“We would like to waive a formal reading and ask the court to enter a not guilty plea on his behalf,” said Springstead. “I want to place on record that we had a conference with the interpreter and covered the offer that has been made prior to waiving the prelim.”
The offer made by the prosecution is a minimum of three and a half years in prison. “Based on the guidelines and MCL 769.34, if they plead/admit to the armed robbery, they would be facing a 42-month minimum sentence to a maximum set by the court, as this is a life offense,” said Oceana County Prosecuting Attorney Joseph Bizon after the hearing.
The robbery occurred at the store located at 2361 North Oceana Drive in Hart Township.
“The weapon used was a pistol,” Bizon said previously.
A man suffered minor injuries during the robbery, Oceana County Sheriff Craig Mast said previously. “One victim received some facial abrasions when he was assaulted. There was a very brief struggle. The weapon used was displayed and threatened prominently.”
Authorities have not specified how much cash was stolen.
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