Accused sniper pleads no contest

Accused sniper pleads no contest

One of the two teen-agers accused of random highway sniping last summer pleaded no contest to a reduced charge Tuesday.

Peter R. Meyer, 18, of 5870 Warren Road in Superior Township, appeared before Washtenaw County Circuit Judge Edward D. Deake with attorney, Joel S. Welber, and entered the plea to four counts of assault with intent to do great bodily harm less than murder.

GREGORY D. Sharp, 19, formerly of Racine, Wis., last week pleaded no contest to the same charges. Both were originally accused of four counts of attempted murder, which carries a maximum penalty of life imprisonment.

Sharp’s sentencing is set for Jan. 28, and Meyer is to be sentenced Feb. 11. Their convictions, which resulted from plea bargaining, carry a maximum sentence of 10 years in prison and a $5,000 fine.

Both were arrested at Meyer’s home following a shooting spree along a stretch of M-14 near Ann Arbor last Aug. 31. Police said 200 shots were fired at more than a dozen passing cars and trucks.

By entering a no contest plea, a defendant, while not admitting guilt, agrees with the charge and offers no defense.