The criminal case against Sereal Gravlin has ended with a plea bargain and probation, but the Addison resident and authorities continue to remain at odds over what really happened last August.
On March 17, Gravlin pleaded guilty in Oakland County Circuit Court to possession of a firearm by a convicted felon (a felony), while prosecutors dismissed the misdemeanor charge of misuse of telecommunications service.
The court sentenced him to six months probation.
Authorities claim that on Aug. 12, 2008, Gravlin called U.S. Senator Debbie Stabenow’s office and threatened to take a weapon into a Lake Orion bank to get money that had been garnished from his Social Security check.
The 61-year-old denied threatening the bank, while his attorney, Robert Stearns, described the shotgun seized from his residence as an ‘antique? heirloom more than 100 years old.
Lake Orion Police Chief Jerry Narsh stood by the investigation and the charges, adding that the 12-gauge pump shotgun had recently been refurbished. He added it was still in ‘excellent? working order.
Gravlin previously served six months in jail in 1987 after being convicted of felony assault with a dangerous weapon.