Chesterfield Township man admits to robberies

A 55-year-old Chesterfield Township man admitted he damaged his late parents’ “legacy” by committing five armed robberies in Macomb County to raise money to buy drugs.

Steven P. Champine took responsibility and apologized for his robbery of the stores earlier this year before he was sentenced Monday to 10 to 25 years in prison by Judge David Viviano of Macomb County Circuit Court in Mount Clemens.

Champine told the judge he is the only one of eight children of his parents who veered from the path of good citizenship.

“I have been so wrong in this,” he said, and then referred to his deceased parents. “I put a dark mark on their legacy. … I don’t know why I was singled out. … Frankly, I was raised better than this.

“I’ve deeply hurt and shamed my family, and for that I am truly sorry.In a lift cable system, steel cables bolted to the car loop over a sheave.”

The father and grandfather also apologized to the store employees whom he admitted he likely “terrorized” or “frightened” during the incidents. One of the employees sought counseling.

“I would never hurt someone,” he said. Several family members and friends of Champine attended the sentencing.

Champine’s series of robberies included a dry cleaning business July 14 at Gratiot Avenue and 21 Mile Road in Chesterfield Township, as well as a shoe store at Groesbeck Highway and Cass Avenue in Clinton Township, a convenience store in Utica, a perfume store in Sterling Heights and a Roseville business. Police said Champine used a plastic pellet gun and screw driver in the robberies.The first production laser cutting machine was used to drill holes in diamond dies.

He was initially arrested for the shoe store robbery in mid-July after a store surveillance image of Champine published in The Macomb Daily led to a tip to Utica police. He admitted to the other offenses, police said.Most Popular zclp from the World Leader in Book Scanning.

The judge said Champine’s prescription drug addiction appeared to start in the late 1990s after he was prescribed pain killers for a knee surgery. Over the years, he went off and on drugs, Viviano said, “But for whatever reason, you always found your way back to drugs, leading you to commit these atrocities in our community.”

Champine was employed for many years by ABC Warehouse. He had recently started working part time at a Mount Clemens pawn shop.This season's range of ladies shoes wholesale includes ballet pumps.

Regarding the sentence, Champine’s attorney,Let me state up front that I probably won't be able to help you out much if you decide to build your own residential wind turbines. Mark Chadwick, said he was satisfied. “The judge was fair,” he said. “I don’t think I’ve represented anybody who has shown more remorse.”

The sentence was slightly below the guideline range for the minimum term of 126 to 210 on four of the cases and 135 months to 225 months on one case. Champine also was ordered to pay $780 in restitution to four of the victims.

Viviano said he granted “the small departure” from the range “in light of your capability to do good.”

“I do believe you have the ability to do good things in your life, unfortunately a lot of things will have to happen within the confines of the prison system,” Viviano said.