A number of notable cases are still pending in Livingston County, including several rescheduled trials and upcoming hearings in cases involving sexual or domestic assault and murder.
Here’s where they stand:
Tamela Peterson
Tamela Peterson, of Brighton, has been charged with nine counts of alleged healthcare fraud by the Michigan Attorney General’s Office. Peterson — CEO of The Oxford Center — is accused of “having knowledge of” and being “the direct beneficiary of” fraudulent healthcare claim practices, including billing for services not rendered.
Peterson’s preliminary examination began May 29 and continued July 8 in Livingston County’s 53rd District Court before Judge Shauna Murphy. The hearing will resume again Aug. 12. Peterson is also facing charges of second-degree murder and involuntary manslaughter in Oakland County for the hyperbaric oxygen chamber death of five-year-old Thomas Cooper.
Zachary Kaufman
Zachary Kaufman, 30, is charged with three counts of criminal sexual conduct with a minor for an offense that allegedly occurred in December 2025.
Kaufman is the owner of Way of Life Martial Arts in Hamburg and a former aide at Light of the World Academy, a charter school in Pinckney. He’s scheduled for a probable cause conference Aug. 4 before Judge Daniel Bain of Livingston County’s 53rd District Court.
Ryan Rojas
Ryan Rojas is charged with accosting a minor for immoral purposes after allegedly attempting to abduct an eight-year-old girl May 27 in Brighton Township — according to a statement from the Michigan State Police First District.
Rojas, 24, of Herriman, Utah, was previously arraigned in Livingston County’s 53rd District Court, with bond set at $250,000. He’s scheduled for a probable cause conference and motion hearing July 28 before Judge Daniel Bain.
Travell Rogers
Travell Rogers, 37, is charged with two counts of armed robbery for an incident at Hamburg Township’s Dairy Queen Grill & Chill in September 2025.
The robbery took place the evening of Sept. 17 at 6450 E. M-36, according to a release issued by Hamburg Township Public Safety. The suspect allegedly wore a mask and gloves, carried a handgun and held three employees at gunpoint. They reportedly punched two employees before fleeing on foot after stealing money and other personal items.
Rogers was bound over to Livingston County’s 44th Circuit Court on June 10. He’s scheduled for a final settlement conference Aug. 21 before Judge Matthew McGivney.
According to a release issued March 25, a second suspect in the robbery was “actively being sought by federal authorities.” It wasn’t immediately clear how that suspect was involved.
Kenneth James Smith Jr.
Kenneth James Smith Jr. of Howell was arrested and charged with distribution and receipt of child pornography and possession of child pornography after federal agents discovered multiple external hard drives and other forms of removable storage at his home May 5.
According to police, three of the hard drives were found hidden in the basement ceiling. Smith was freed on bond May 11. There are currently no hearings scheduled in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Michigan.
Smith shares a name with another Kenneth James Smith, charged with possessing child sexually abusive material, using a computer to commit a crime and failing to register as a sex offender in 2017 in Livingston County. That case was dismissed.
The Daily has confirmed the men’s separate identities with Livingston County Sheriff Mike Murphy.
Jeremy Heath
Jeremy Heath is charged with carrying a dangerous weapon with unlawful intent, felony firearm, carrying a concealed weapon, and open murder following a fatal shooting at Metro Studios Ink in June 2024. Sean Thompson, 46, of Howell, was found dead inside the building.
Heath was originally scheduled for trial in March 2025 before Judge Matthew McGivney in Livingston County’s 44th Circuit Court. The proceeding was delayed multiple times, and is now scheduled for Nov. 2-13. Heath is also scheduled for a final settlement conference Oct. 23.
Jerome Kowalski
Jerome Kowalski, 79, was scheduled for retrial in October 2025 but entered a last-minute, no contest plea on two counts of open murder. The plea isn’t an admission of guilt, but is treated as such for sentencing.
Kowalski can’t be sentenced until a degree hearing is held to determine whether he’ll be convicted of first- or second-degree murder in the killings of his brother and sister-in-law, Richard and Brenda Kowalski, in 2008. He’s scheduled for a hearing July 20.
Kowalski was originally convicted of both murders in 2013, but was granted a new trial in 2019 after the judge in his case, Theresa Brennan, was disbarred and sentenced to six months in jail. Officials discovered she’d had an intimate relationship with Michigan State Police Det. Sean Furlong, who led the investigation into the killings.
Christopher Beall
Christopher Beall was charged with open murder in November 2024 after his 57-year-old roommate was found dead in their home on Sargent Road in Handy Township. Beall was bound over to Livingston County’s 44th Circuit Court in January 2025.
According to court records, Beall was found incompetent to stand trial, but recoverable, during a review hearing in October 2025. Judge Suzanne Geddis was informed in April that he’d been admitted in March. Beall is scheduled for another review hearing Sept. 4.
Matthew Swider
Matthew Swider, a former youth pastor in Brighton, faces numerous charges related to child sexually abusive activity, including three counts of distributing obscene matter to children. His most recent hearing was May 14 before Judge Miriam Cavanaugh in Livingston County’s 44th Circuit Court.
During the hearing, a motion to suppress evidence from the defense was denied. The case is currently disposed while an appeal is filed.
Robert Kowalske
Robert Kowalske, 63, was bound over to Livingston County’s 44th Circuit Court in April 2025 on charges of failure to stop at the scene of an accident resulting in death and operating while intoxicated causing death. The charges are in connection with the hit-and-run death of 22-year-old Alexander Tubbs in December 2024.
Kowalske posted bond in June 2025. He’s currently scheduled for trial Aug. 24-Sept. 2 before Judge Matthew McGivney in Livingston County’s 44th Circuit Court.
Marqwevell Cummings
Aaron Aydelotte and Marqwevell Cummings were bound over to Livingston County’s 44th Circuit Court in April 2025. The men were suspects in the death of a 25-year-old man found shot, and his car burned, in March.
Aydelotte was found guilty during a jury trial in April and given two life sentences in July. Cummings is currently scheduled for trial Aug. 24-Sept. 4 before Judge Matthew McGivney.
Richard Green
Richard Green, of Gregory, was charged with child sexually abusive activity in 2025 after allegedly sending explicit texts to someone impersonating a 13-year-old. According to police, Green destroyed evidence after the case became public.
Green faces four felony counts of child sexually abusive activity, four felony counts of using a computer to commit a crime, and one felony count of evidence tampering. He was bound over to Livingston County’s 44th Circuit Court in June 2025 and is scheduled for a final settlement conference July 24.
Kirk Lanam
Kirk Lanam, 53, is charged with four counts of embezzling from a vulnerable adult for $100,000 or more, and one count of fraud for a signature on a financial document.
According to officials, Lanam allegedly stole more than $400,000 from an 87-year-old man to benefit himself and his nonprofit, Veteran Service Dogs, based in Livingston County. Lanam is from Hartland.
Lanam posted bond in March 2025. He was bound over to Oakland County Circuit Court on Sept. 3. He’s scheduled for a pre-trial hearing Aug. 27.
— Contact reporter Tess Ware at tware@livingstondaily.com.
This article originally appeared on Livingston Daily: Jerome Kowalski returning to courtroom this month in Livingston County
Reporting by Tess Ware, Livingston Daily / Livingston Daily
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By Tess Ware, Livingston Daily | USA TODAY Network
