ESCANABA - A Bark River man - accused of scamming two home buyers out of thousands of dollars - will go to trial this week on two counts of embezzlement. Motions related to the case were considered by the court last week.
Jason Bradley Ives, 32, is scheduled to be tried in a three-day trial beginning Wednesday in Delta County Circuit Court. He is charged with two felony counts of larceny by conversion $1,000-$20,000, each a five-year felony.
Ives allegedly entered into contracts with two separate parties to buy a home he owned at 6556 C Road in Bark River Township. When the deals never closed in 2010, the individuals requested their down payments be refunded as promised. The home buyers - unaware of each other's purchase agreement - never acquired the property or their refunds.
One couple paid Ives a $4,000 down payment to buy the house in a land contract with a closing date of Aug. 9, 2010. Another victim paid Ives $10,000 as down payments on the home with an Aug. 10, 2010 closing date on a land contract.
In February 2011, the Delta County Sheriff Department began an investigation into the alleged scams. Ives was later arrested in September 2011.
Last Friday, Ives' appeared in circuit court during a motions hearing. His attorney, Elizabeth LaCosse, requested the court reschedule the criminal trial to a different county.
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Jason Bradley Ives, 32, is scheduled to be tried in a three-day trial beginning Wednesday in Delta County Circuit Court.
He is charged with two felony counts of larceny by conversion $1,000-$20,000, each a five-year felony.
Ives allegedly entered into contracts with two separate parties to buy a home he owned at 6556 C Road in Bark River Township. When the deals never closed in 2010, the individuals requested their down payments be refunded as promised. The home buyers - unaware of each other's purchase agreement - never acquired the property or their refunds.
LaCosse told Judge Stephen Davis that it will be very difficult to find 12 impartial jurors because of "highly slanted" media coverage on the case which she described as "very front page." She also said there have been "vial" comments posted by readers and there has been a lot of discussion on the case out in the community.
Prosecuting Attorney Steve Parks told the judge he was confident an impartial jury could be found.
Davis said potential jurors will be questioned as normal. He denied LaCosse's request to change the venue.
In another motion considered by Davis on Friday, it was decided a victim in another criminal court case will not be referred to in the prosecutor's opening statement to the jury on Wednesday.
Ives has additional trials scheduled for later this year. He faces one count of larceny by conversion and one count of false pretenses ($20,000 or more) in a circuit court trial Aug. 7-9. False pretenses is a 10-year felony. In a civil complaint related to this other case, Ives and his wife, Jennifer Ives, are scheduled for a bench trial in circuit court on Sept. 13-14.
The Department of Licensing and Regulatory Affairs is also deciding on allegations that Ives violated building and occupational codes while constructing a home in Rapid River. Ives is also under investigation for alleged home remodeling scams in Menominee County.