By Jon King / jking@whmi.com


A plea has been entered by a local man charged in an altercation last year in which authorities say he fired a gun multiple times.


32-year-old Michael Joseph Libtow of Iosco Township was originally charged with felonious assault for the incident on May 16th of 2020 in which Livingston County Sheriff’s deputies responded to the Countryway Market in Handy Township for a report of shots fired.

An investigation determined that a man riding motorcycles with friends got into a verbal altercation with Libtow, who was his neighbor. Witnesses claimed that as the man was leaving the area, Libtow blocked the roadway with his vehicle, got out, and fired multiple rounds from a handgun into the vehicle of the victim.

Earlier this year, additional charges were added including assault with intent to do great bodily harm less than murder, carrying a weapon with unlawful intent, and three counts of felony firearms.

In court on Monday, Chief Assistant Prosecutor Carolyn Henry said her office would not entertain a no contest plea, telling Circuit Court Judge Michael Hatty that there “cannot absolutely be any claim of innocence on this matter.” A no-contest plea is not a legal admission of guilt but is treated as such during sentencing.

Libtow’s attorney, Rick Nelson, argued that the agreement with the prosecutor was for a maximum sentence of one year in the county jail after Libtow had served two years in prison on the felony firearm charge. He would also serve five years of probation. In the end, a deal was reached to which Libtow pleaded guilty to all six counts.

Sentencing was set for June 17th.