A 57-year-old Oak Park felon who pleaded no contest to multiple crimes committed in Farmington Hills last fall is headed back to prison.
At a sentencing hearing Monday, Oakland County Circuit Judge David Cohen ordered Frankie Burton to spend 38 months to 30 years incarcerated for fleeing/eluding police-second degree, with concurrent sentences of 14 months to 20 years for retail fraud at the Farmington Hills Target store, and 14 months to 15 years for felonious assault and possession of a controlled substance. Jail credit of 98 days served in Oakland County was noted.
Burton was also ordered to pay Target $1,642.90.
Burton has a decades-long criminal past, with multiple stays in Michigan’s Department of Corrections for felony convictions in Oakland, Wayne and Macomb counties. He was last discharged from prison in March 2023.
The most recent case against Burton unfolded on Nov. 6, 2023 when he was reportedly seen stealing from the Target store at 30020 Grand River Ave. According to police, store management recognized the thief from prior shoplifting incidents, and this time he had left the store with a cart filled with merchandise without paying.
Police spotted Burton driving away from the store parking lot and initiated a pursuit after he ignored their attempt to pull him over. A short time later, police said, Burton crashed into two occupied vehicles and ignored officers’ order to surrender. He then intentionally rammed his car into one of the vehicles that he had already hit, which was blocking his escape — and eventually pushed it out of his way and continued to flee, police said.
The police pursuit continued, and subsequently turned into a foot pursuit after Burton exited his car; he was chased down and taken into custody. At his arrest, police said, crack cocaine was found in Burton’s coat pocket.
Shortly afterward, Farmington Hills Police Chief Jeff King said Burton “ showed a complete lack of regard for the safety of others and committed a felonious assault on an innocent civilian when he used his car as a weapon” and that he “posed a severe and ongoing risk to public safety.”
Hearing Wednesday for evidentiary challenges in James Crumbley’s trial