Court Roundup: Suspects in Larceny and Extortion Cases Convicted

Repeat offender faces enhanced prison sentence

A Waterford man has pleaded guilty to stealing jewelry from a Bloomfield Township office building. Oakland County Circuit Court records show that Kenneth Karst, 54, pleaded guilty as charged during a pretrial hearing last week. Sentencing is Sept. 29 before Circuit Judge Michael Warren.

Prosecutors indicated they would seek a sentence enhancement upon conviction because Karst is a habitual offender with at least four prior run-ins with authorities, records show. His criminal history includes seven convictions dating back to 1976 for larceny, retail fraud and assault. He served more than four years in prison for assault with a dangerous weapon before his release in March 2010, state prison records show.

Karst's trial was scheduled to start Monday. He was arrested June 27, just a few hours after he took the jewelry from an office in the 1700 block of Telegraph Road, Bloomfield Township Police said. Emily Long, Karst's attorney, did not return messages seeking comment. 

Court records show that malicious destruction of property charges in a separate case against Karst are pending. Those charges stem from a Jan. 27 incident in Pontiac and were the subject of an evidentiary hearing last month in 48th District Court. Following the hearing, the case was forwarded to Circuit Court for trial.

Prosecutors have requested a sentence enhancement for Karst as a habitual offender if he is convicted on that charge.

A pretrial hearing is scheduled for Sept. 29 before Circuit Judge Phyillis McMillen. Karst remains at the Oakland County Jail on $20,000 bond.

Plea entered in Bloomfield Hills extortion case

A Troy teenager recently pleaded guilty to extortion charges after he tried to collect a supposed debt by threatening to blow up a Bloomfield Hills woman's home.

Robert Rink, 17, pleaded guilty as charged to one count of extortion during a pretrial hearing in Oakland County Circuit Court. Extortion is defined as the act or practice of taking or attempting to take money, personal property or services from others through coercion.

Bloomfield Hills Police said they arrested Rink outside a home in the 1000 block of Hammond Court shortly after 12:30 p.m. May 29. The homeowner called police after Rink allegedly knocked on the door for the second consecutive day to collect a $100 debt from the homeowner's son, a police report said. He threatened to blow up the house before leaving if the homeowner didn't pay, the report said.

Officers found Rink in a vehicle parked outside the home and arrested him upon discovering cigarettes in the vehicle because he is underage. They also found multiple containers of lighter fluid, the report said.

He told investigators that he was robbed at knifepoint by the homeowner's son in a Troy park earlier but did not report it. He later recanted upon questioning by Troy Police, reports said.

Rink posted $10,000 bond shortly after his arrest and remains free pending sentencing Oct. 10. Jeffrey Van Loon, Rink's attorney, did not return messages seeking comment.