ANGOLA, IN (WTVB) – The man who is doing prison time in Michigan for the hostage situation last July in Branch County at the Lion’s Den Adult Book Store north of Coldwater was sentenced Monday in Angola, Indiana where his crimes started that day. 40-year old Joseph Leiffer of Carleton, Michigan robbed the CVS Pharmacy in Angola of medications and then police pursued him on a chase which ended at the Lions Den, which is located just off I-69 at Jonesville Road.
On the Indiana side of the judicial system, Leiffer entered a guilty plea in May to felony robbery in exchange for the dismissal of a resisting law enforcement felony charge. The plea resulted in a 9-year prison term and will be served concurrently with his Michigan sentence. His plea bargain in Branch County Circuit Court came on a charge of unlawful imprisonment. Two kidnapping counts were dismissed.
Leiffer in November began serving a sentence with the Michigan Department of Corrections of at least 57 months with a maximum of 15 years. If he were released after a doing his minimum in Michigan, the remaining 5 plus years would be finished up with the Indiana prison system.
