Great Lakes Wire

Roland Bourgeois, a 56-year-old resident of Lake, was sentenced to 50 months to 24 years in prison for two counts of second-degree criminal sexual conduct. The sentencing was delivered by Judge Tara Hovey in the 55th Circuit Court in Clare County. Bourgeois was found guilty by a jury in November 2024 and was sentenced as a fourth habitual felony offender.

The charges stem from incidents that occurred in 2018 when Bourgeois committed multiple acts of criminal sexual conduct against a child relative. The victim did not report these crimes until 2023, revealing them to a school counselor after being told repeatedly by Bourgeois not to disclose what had happened.

Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel commented on the case: “This prison sentence is possible thanks to the tireless efforts of Child Protective Services, the Michigan State Police, prosecutors in my office, and the victim’s courage to come forward.” She further emphasized her office's commitment "to working with our partners to hold accountable sexual assault perpetrators and support their victims."

The investigation into this matter was conducted by Child Protective Services and the Michigan State Police. The Department of Attorney General led the prosecution at the request of the Clare County Prosecuting Attorney.