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Former Sturgis Police Chief Pleads Guilty In Drunk Driving Case

Office of Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel

Former Sturgis Police Chief Geoffrey Smith has pleaded guilty to driving while impaired after charges in connection with an Aug. 15, 2020 incident.

(Read more in the release from Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel's office.)

The former Sturgis Police Chief has pleaded guilty in a drunk driving case, Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel announced today.  

Through Zoom, Geoffrey Smith of Sturgis, 46, pleaded guilty to driving while impaired Wednesday morning before Calhoun County District Court Judge Paul Beardslee.  

He will serve 12 months probation, with in-home alcohol monitoring for the first 90 days. Smith has the right to petition for early release from probation after six months if he remains compliant with all terms and conditions. 

As part of the plea, Smith admitted that on Aug. 15, 2020, he drove his car while having a blood alcohol level of .17 or higher. 

“Law enforcement must be held to a high standard. I recognize Mr. Smith’s acceptance of responsibility in this case and subsequent accountability for his actions,” Nessel said. 

Smith is also ordered to pay restitution, though that amount has not yet been set because damages from crashing his car into other vehicles are still being assessed.

Tony became WVPE's program director in 2022, after working as operations manager since 2014. He also produces Michiana Chronicles and works on other special programming and digital projects. He joined the station as All Things Considered host in 1997, hosted Morning Edition in 2000 and 2001, then returned to the ATC host chair from 2007 to 2016. One of his Morning Edition newscasts earned WVPE a Best Radio Newscast Award from the Associated Press in 2002. An Iowa native, Tony got his start in radio as a student at Eastern Mennonite University (EMU), Harrisonburg, Va., and managed the radio station there for three years after graduating. He also worked in commercial and Christian radio prior to his time at WVPE. Tony lives in Goshen.