By Jon King / jking@whmi.com


Sentencing is set this week for a Grand Rapids man who pleaded guilty to breaking into a big box store last year and leading police on a chase into Livingston County.

18-year-old Kquazay Vinson of Grand Rapids pleaded guilty as charged last month in Livingston County Circuit Court to three counts of resisting and obstructing police. Court records show that in exchange for the plea, prosecutors agreed to recommend that Vinson be sentenced to time served with no probation.

He also entered a plea to a breaking and entering charge in Genesee County for the incident that began on January 13th of 2020 when he and a co-defendant, 18-year-old Jamone Carter of Kentwood, broke into the Target store in Fenton and led police on a chase into Livingston County on US-23. It ended just south of M-59, where Carter, Vinson and a 16-year-old fled on foot. The subsequent manhunt, which involved both K9 units and drones, took several hours before they were all taken into custody.

Carter previously pleaded guilty to two counts of resisting and obstructing police and was sentenced to 144 days in jail. Authorities say all are members of a Grand Rapids group called the "Young Money Gang" which is responsible for nearly a dozen similar robberies, including the smash and grab robbery of the Brighton Target store in December of 2019.

Vinson will be sentenced on Thursday by Livingston County Circuit Court Judge Suzanne Geddis. Sentencing is set for September 7th on the Genesee County charge.