ESCANABA, Mich. (WZMQ) – A Wilson man has been sentenced to probation and jail time for charges stemming from a traffic stop last February.
Tristan Halfaday was one of two men arrested after being pulled over in Bark River Township. Police found nearly 200 grams of cocaine, more than 100 grams of fentanyl, ecstasy, ketamine, and other drugs in the vehicle. Halfaday was also found to be illegally concealing a handgun.
In November, Halfaday pled guilty to two counts of delivering controlled substances and one count of carrying a concealed weapon. On Monday, he appeared in court again for his sentencing.
Halfaday was sentenced to three years of probation, as well as 11 months in the Delta County Jail with credit for 158 days served for each charge. However, the jail sentences are to be served concurrently.
The sentencing followed recommendations from the Michigan Department of Corrections, which cited that before last February, Halfaday’s record included no felonies and one misdemeanor. An investigator in the case also noted that since his arrest, Halfaday has taken steps toward rehabilitation, like checking into a sober living facility and attending counseling and behavioral health sessions.
Before Judge John Economopoulos announced the sentence, Halfaday’s attorney detailed Halfaday’s reputation prior to his arrest. He said that Halfaday considered himself to be a “role model” and mentor to youth in his community.
“I think putting him in prison and pushing him to the next level would, unfortunately, expose him to much of the same concerns that I’ve spoken of—namely, the influences and circumstances that would not benefit him in the long run,” Halfaday’s attorney told the judge. “… An 11-month jail term is sending a message to the community that this type of action is not going to be tolerated, that the court is going to protect the community and keep him off the streets for a short period of time, and that the recommendations include continued counseling, continued residency at the Three Fires sober living facility, which he has thrived and flourished at… I think a prison sentence, Judge, would undo a lot of that good… and expose him to elements that would simply create additional issues.”
Halfaday addressed the judge himself, saying, “I realize the wrong I’ve done, and I’m sorry. It’s not okay. It’s not… I am sorry to the community. I am sorry to you. I know that it’s not okay.”
Judge Economopoulos acknowledged the seriousness of Halfaday’s offenses, while noting that it was a “jarring departure” from his life before his arrest. Economopoulos encouraged Halfaday to stay committed to his rehabilitation efforts and to surround himself with the right people.
“The fact that you possessed a weapon to protect your life because you received death threats should tell you everything you need to know about the types of people that you were mixing with,” Economopoulos said. He also stated, “I know that for some people in this courtroom, it goes in one ear and out the other. Those are the people I usually see again and again. For the ones that are able to make my words stick in between their ears, those are the ones that I usually see in public, and they approach me and give me the good news about how they’ve been doing since they’ve been sentenced in my court, since I haven’t seen them from that time.”
Following his sentencing, Halfaday was placed into the custody of the Delta County Sheriff’s Office.
