Burton David Cortez, 39, East Jordan, was sentenced to 38 to 90 months in prison on charges of malicious destruction of personal property $1,000 to $20,000 and assault with a dangerous weapon today in the 33^rd Circuit Court.

The offense occurred on September 14, 2018 in Eveline Township. Cortez had just been released from prison on December 25, 2017 after spending over 17 years in prison on convictions of assault with intent to commit sexual penetration and being a prisoner in possession of a weapon.

In this incident, according to an affidavit filed in the case, Cortez and a neighbor became involved in a disagreement over property lines and Cortez and other individuals approached the neighbor and another man with Cortez carrying a knife and a “Maglite” style flashlight. The other men carried large wrenches.

Cortez and the other men slashed the tires of one of the victim’s car to immobilize the vehicle, then assaulted the man with a knife, causing scars the victim showed Judge Roy C. Hayes III in the courtroom during the sentencing.

Hayes also ordered Cortez to pay $4,434.89 in restitution.

“This was a very scary situation for these residents,” Charlevoix County Prosecuting Attorney Allen Telgenhof said. “A simple disagreement over property lines in a remote part of the county resulted in a situation where a completely innocent person was, as he described in court, fighting for his life against a group of weaponized attackers.”