Holiday robbery suspect ruled competent

By RICHARD JENKINS

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Bessemer — An outside expert has found the suspect accused of robbing the Holiday Gas Station in Ironwood in December fit to stand trial.

Gogebic County Prosecutor Nick Jacobs told the Daily Globe the expert came fromRockford Ill. to examine Chadd Mathias Andert and reported “Mr. Andert does not meet the statutory criteria for an individual deemed legally insane.”

This is the second psychological expert who has deemed Andert, 36, of Ironwood, capable of standing trial for the two felony counts he is facing — assault with intent to rob while armed and assault with a dangerous weapon.

Andert is also facing a habitual offender-fourth offense notice in connection to the alleged robbery on Dec. 29, which could increase the potential maximum penalty he faces.

An Ironwood Public Safety Department police report said Andert told the station’s clerk to call 911 and report a robbery, before pulling out two switchblade knives from his pocket and holding them on the counter.

After the clerk called 911, the report said Andert returned the knives to his pocket and waited for police officers to arrive.

In April, a state examiner found Andert was both competent to stand trial and could be considered criminally responsible for his alleged actions if the facts of the case found him to have committed the crimes he is accused of — the two prongs of Michigan’s insanity defense.

At the time, Jacobs said both sides stipulated Andert was competent to stand trial, but defense attorney Jim McKenzie was seeking a second opinion regarding his criminal responsibility.

Jacobs said the state expert found Andert had consumed alcohol prior to the alleged robbery, which he said likely caused any mental impairment that may have been present.

Future court dates in the case remain to be set, Jacobs said, although there has been a request for a jury trial.