Two men involved in last year’s robbery-turned-homicide will wait approximately six more weeks to find out how long they’ll spend in prison for their roles.
Justin Collins, 23, of Mt. Pleasant, and Jesse Hinton Jr., 21, of Chicago, were scheduled for sentencing Wednesday in the Isabella County Trial Court, but a staffing shortage compounded by a case backlog at the courthouse pushed that date off until late October.
Both men pleaded no contest to conspiracy to commit armed robbery in early August for their participation in the plot to rob Raven Tre-Von Edelen, 20, of Wyoming (Mich.), of marijuana and money on April 27, 2020, in a Campus Habitat apartment on Mt. Pleasant’s south side. During the robbery, Edelen was killed after being shot twice by Miykael Norfleat, 21, of Chicago.
The first reason for the delay was that local Department of Corrections staff needed more time to finish reports required as part of the sentencing process. MDOC is understaffed locally, said David Barberi, Isabella County Prosecutor.
They’d asked for two weeks, but the court’s dockets are also backed up due to COVID-19, Barberi said. In the last several months, cases have moved slowly through the courts.
The first available date was Oct. 26, Barberi said.
Collins and Norfleat were arrested almost right away after Edelen’s death. A third defendant, Robert Jamison, was arrested in Chicago in August. Hinton and the fifth man, Antony Smiles, were arrested and charged in late September 2020.
The five took part in what was supposed to be a robbery. Norfleat told an Isabella County judge that he was a late add to the four-person crew that started with Hinton, Smiles and Jamison. Their original fourth person backed out, and Norfleat was brought on and served as the crew’s trigger man.
Collins was originally placed at the scene, but it was later determined that just he let Norfleat — who was staying with Collins — use his gun. The 9mm pistol was eventually tracked back to a theft in Hamtramck.
It was assumed that Edelen, who also went by Ray Nori, was alone. When the four arrived, Norfleat, Jamison and Hinton planned to go inside to rob him. Smiles stayed in the car.
They found Edelen playing video games with two other men, who fled out a window as Norfleat approached Edelen with the gun drawn.
Norfleat fired twice and said that Edelen smacked the gun before the two wrestled. Edelen was shot and died during that altercation.
Norfleat was sentenced to 31-50 years after pleading guilty to second-degree murder, conspiracy to commit armed robbery and assault with a dangerous weapon.
According to online records, Jamison’s next appearance in court will be a plea hearing. Smiles is currently scheduled for trial on Sept. 20.
