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By Allison Scarbrough, News Editor
Gale
LUDINGTON — A 32-year-old Oceana County man facing multiple charges in Mason County’s 51st Circuit Court, including delivery of a controlled substance causing death, rejected a plea offer Tuesday, Jan. 28, of serving a minimum of just over 19 years in prison.
Travis Michael Gale, who is lodged in the Mason County Jail on a $250,000 bond, appeared in court Tuesday with his court-appointed attorney Ravi Gurumurthy for a trial conference for his three pending criminal cases.
Gale is accused of delivering fentanyl to Emmanual Rodriguez of Oceana County April 22, 2023. Rodriguez, who was in his early 40s, died.
“The delivery occurred near Ruby Creek, and the decedent was found in his residence on Washington Road in Oceana County,” said Mason County Prosecuting Attorney Beth Hand.
About a week later, Gale allegedly stole a welded wire garden fence April 29, 2023 at the Ludington-area Lowe’s home improvement store, said Hand.
Just months after Rodriguez’s death, Gale allegedly furnished fentanyl to another jail inmate who nearly died after taking the drug Nov. 15, 2023. The male victim, who is in his mid 30s, has fully recovered, said Prosecutor Hand.
“…Mason County corrections deputies were notified of a medical emergency in a cell within the Mason County Jail,” previously stated Mason County Sheriff Kim Cole. “Corrections deputies immediately began life saving measures on the inmate, which included CPR and the administration of NARCAN.”
In total, Gales faces 11 charges in the three files: delivery of a controlled substance causing death; delivery/manufacture of methamphetamine; two counts of delivery/manufacture of cocaine, heroin or another narcotic; furnishing contraband to prisoners; prisoner in possession of contraband; possession of cocaine/heroin; fourth-offense habitual offender; two counts of breaking and entering a building with intent; and larceny in a building.
Gale was sentenced to three to 20 years in prison in Kent County, Sept. 18, 2024 for a conviction of conducting criminal enterprises and fourth-offense habitual offender, according to Kent County court records.
The prosecutor offered a plea deal in which Gale would serve 14.25 years minimum in prison for the the fentanyl delivery causing death charge with a consecutive minimum prison term of five years for the delivery of fentanyl in the jail charge, along with concurrent terms for the other charges, But Gale rejected the offer, and his case is set for trial March 19-21.
A Mears resident at the time, Gale was sentenced in Oceana County’s 27th (now 51st) Circuit Court, May 4, 2020 to 18 months to eight years in prison for convictions of heroin possession and third-offense habitual offender. He was sentenced to a prison term of one year and three months to 20 years, Oct. 7, 2013, for a conviction of first-degree home invasion, according to Michigan Department of Corrections records.
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