A Wayland man said he intended it as a prank when he banged on doors at an apartment complex, wearing a hat that read SWAT and yelling “Police!”
Even so, he pleaded guilty to one count of impersonating a police officer in Allegan County Circuit Court.
Matthew Michael Holcomb, 40, pleaded guilty Monday, Oct. 23, to that charge.
Holcomb said he’d gone to the apartment complex in Wayland April 16 because his daughter was dating the son of a woman who lived there, but he didn’t know which apartment it was.
He claimed it was all a joke.
“It was supposed to be a practical joke, banging on the door and wearing a SWAT hat,” he said. “I did that and they called the police on me.”
Holcomb explained he’d banged on the door and yelled “This is the police!”
As part of a plea agreement with Allegan County prosecutors in that case, they agreed to drop charges of larceny less than $200, breaking and entering and disorderly person window peeping in exchange for the guilty plea.
In a second file, Holcomb pleaded guilty to charges of second degree home invasion and possession of analogues.
Those charges stemmed from an incident May 9 in Wayland.
“I broke in mine and my friends’ houses,” Holcomb said. “I was high.”
When Judge Margaret Zuzich Bakker asked him why he’d done that, Holcomb said, “I have no idea.”
He admitted that he took drugs from the home, including marijuana and prescription drugs.
In that case, prosecutors agreed to drop a second count of possession of analogues and one count of possession of marijuana.
Bakker set a sentencing hearing for Tuesday, Dec. 5, at 9 a.m.
Contact Dan Pepper at dpepper@allegannews.com or at (269) 673-5534.
.