People in Michigan will no doubt be aware of the use of DNA in criminal investigations. Cold cases and new felonies are resolved by comparing a suspect’s DNA profile with evidence to assess the likelihood of his or her involvement in a crime. It could take weeks to get DNA evidence from the crime scene to identification facilities. However, a new rapid DNA program in another state recently helped law enforcement to arrest a suspected burglar and recover stolen property within six days.
This program allows identification of suspects within hours of submitting DNA samples for testing. As part of a plea agreement, a man provided a DNA sample last June. Then, on Dec. 20, after investigators submitted a cigarette butt found at a crime scene for DNA testing on Dec. 19, the same man was identified as the one who allegedly broke into one vehicle, removed several items from it, including the key to a second vehicle, and then stole that second vehicle.
On Dec. 21, a search of the alleged thief’s house yielded more than $1,600 worth of property reported stolen from the vehicle. The stolen vehicle was not recovered at that time. The 24-year-old man now faces multiple felony counts, including receiving stolen property, grand theft and unauthorized access to a MacBook, which he allegedly rendered inoperable by deleting all the data from it.
Authorities reported that the same man was convicted for other felonies in the past, including fraudulent card use in 2016, burglary in 2017 and identity theft in 2018. Anyone in a similar situation in Michigan will likely secure the services of an experienced criminal defense attorney as soon as possible. A lawyer will examine the charges and the evidence before devising a defense strategy. If the prosecution offers a plea agreement, the attorney will endeavor to negotiate terms that will be most favorable for the client.