COLDWATER, MI (WTVB) – A 63-year-old Bronson man faces a maximum sentence of life in prison after a 12-person jury convicted him for methamphetamine possession after only twenty minutes of deliberation .
According to Branch County Prosecutor Victor Fitz, Paul Dirschell was found guilty in connection with an incident that occurred in Coldwater in September 2025.
The Arrest and charges stem from an incident on September 24, 2025, when the Coldwater Police Department received a tip regarding suspected drug activity in the Branch County District Library parking lot on East Chicago Street.
Upon arriving at the scene, officers located Dirschell and another individual standing near a moped. At the time, Dirschell was already on parole for a previous felony conviction.
During the investigation, officers discovered a black glove stored in a compartment beneath the moped’s handlebars. Dirschell claimed ownership of the moped and stated there was an unused syringe inside the glove.
A subsequent search of the glove revealed the syringe along with a whitish powder, which laboratory testing confirmed to be methamphetamine.
As indicated on his felony information and complaint, Dirschell was charged as a criminal habitual offender due to the prior convictions that date back to a forgery conviction in Jackson County in 2010.
Dirschell will be scheduled for sentencing later this fall. He faces up to life in prison due to his status as a fourth-degree habitual offender.
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