Warren man, father plead no contest in attacks against Black neighbors
A Warren man charged in attacks last year against his Black neighbors, including firing shots at their home, has pleaded no contest and is to be sentenced in August.
Michael John Frederick Jr., 24 — he turns 25 Tuesday — who is white, entered no contest pleas in the case as well as a second case in which he is accused of writing offensive language on a white neighbor’s garage. Frederick’s father, who was charged after police said he disassembled a gun used in the crimes, also pleaded no contest, according to Macomb County Circuit Court records.
Frederick entered his no contest plea on July 6 to three counts of ethnic intimidation; two counts each of weapons/ firearms discharge in/at a building and weapons felony firearm; and one count each of malicious destruction of a building $1,000 to $20,000 and malicious destruction of property $200 to $1,000.
The pleas were entered during a pretrial conference. A trial date was set for July 19. Frederick is to be sentenced on Aug. 16 and currently is being held in the Macomb County jail, according to court records.
The charges pertain to attacks on the home and vehicles of Eddie and Candace Hall the week of Sept. 7. The Halls, who are Black, found their vehicle tires slashed and offensive words and symbols written on their pickup on Tallman Avenue.
They had a Black Lives Matter sign in the front window of their home.
Frederick also pleaded no contest to malicious destruction of a building $1,000 to $20,000 in a case related to a Sept. 12 incident on Tom Allen Drive, where he was accused of writing “pedophile” several times on the garage of a white resident.
Police said last year that he also threw a rock through a window, as he’s accused of doing at the Halls’ home. The white resident had political signs for Democratic candidates at the house, police said.
Frederick’s father, Michael John Frederick Sr., 53, pleaded no contest the same day as his son to three counts: accessory after the fact to a felony, tampering with evidence and lying to a peace officer, according to court records.
They state that if he pays $3,050 in restitution before sentencing, the first two charges will be dismissed . His sentencing also is set for Aug. 16.
Police said the elder Frederick disassembled the gun that his son allegedly used at the Halls’ house. Parts of the gun were found in the Clinton River.
Last year, the younger Frederick said in a court hearing that he wanted the Halls to forgive him, that he was “extremely regretful” and that the attacks weren’t about anyone’s skin color.
A detective told the court last year that the younger Frederick confessed to firing several shots at Eddie Hall’s truck Sept. 7 and another shooting at the residence Sept. 10. He said Frederick also confessed to writing on Hall’s pickup, slashing the tires and damaging a window Sept. 9.
The detective said that the gun used in the shootings was believed to belong to the exgirlfriend of the elder Frederick.