Sanford man pleads guilty to comments about robbery and displaying weapon

A Sanford man pleaded guilty Thursday to entering a Jerome Township store in February, commenting that the place was robbed, then brandishing an Airsoft gun hidden in his waistband.

In exchange for pleading guilty to two counts of felonious assault, Clifford Willsie, 39, had two counts of pneumatic firearm filed in Midland County Circuit Court. Willsie is scheduled to be sentenced at 2 p.m. Aug. 1 before Judge Stephen Carras.

Willsie has been jailed on $10,000 bail since his Feb. 7 arrest. Per a plea agreement with the prosecutor, three years of probation will be part of Willsie's sentence.

Willsie told Carras he went to the gas station early on Feb. 7 and made a comment about robbing the store. He then showed the male and female employees the gun he had on his belt, which he said was an Airsoft gun.

“I was high, your honor,” Willsie said. “I grabbed the gun.”

Deputies with the Midland County Sheriff's Office were called to the Pineview Grocery Store, 3277 N. West River Road, when the gas station employees, ages 17 and 19, were allegedly threatened with a weapon. One of them called 911 to report the incident.

Captain Shannon Guilbeaux of the Midland Sheriff's Office said employees reported the customer made some comments and then brandished a gun. When deputies arrived, they arrested Willsie without incident and learned it was an Airsoft BB gun.

Willsie previously pleaded guilty to misdemeanor attempted third-degree retail fraud in 2023 and was sentenced to 22 days in jail.

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