Darby Man Sentenced to 6½ to 20 Years for Three Crimes, Including Shooting

Legal Proceedings and Sentencing of Michael J. Reese

Michael J. Reese, a 34-year-old man from Darby, Pennsylvania, recently appeared before Common Pleas Court Judge Mary Alice Brennan and pleaded guilty to multiple charges across three separate cases. As a result, he was sentenced to serve between 6½ and 20 years in a state prison. The charges include aggravated assault, possession of a firearm by a person not licensed, and driving under the influence as a tier II first offense, among others.

The lead case involved an incident on June 13, 2023, when Reese allegedly shot and injured another man in an alleyway located between East 21st Street and East 22nd Street, near Potter and Upland streets in Chester. According to Chester Detective Brian Pot, the victim, a 24-year-old male, was found at around 10:27 a.m. with at least two gunshot wounds to his back. Surveillance footage played during a preliminary hearing showed the victim walking east on 21st Street and then north on Potter toward the alley, where he was followed closely by Reese.

Pot explained that Reese was coming from the direction of his girlfriend’s nearby apartment. In one video, Reese is seen increasing his pace as the victim enters the alley, then follows him inside. He exits the alley shortly after and walks back the way he came, eventually cutting through some houses and emerging from an alley near his girlfriend’s apartment.

Investigations led to Reese being identified as a suspect in part due to a police call regarding a stolen vehicle made by his girlfriend. The victim was the subject of that case, according to Pot. Additionally, a 9 mm fired cartridge casing and an unfired .40-caliber round were found in the alley. A search warrant executed at the girlfriend’s apartment the morning after the shooting uncovered a 9 mm ghost gun—a homemade weapon without a serial number—along with a loaded magazine containing both 9 mm and .40-caliber rounds.

Delaware County Detective Louis Grandizio, an expert in firearms and tool-marks, confirmed that the casing found in the alley matched the ghost gun. Reese remained in custody from June 14, 2023, until March 18, 2024, when he posted $100,000 in surety bonds.

Reese was arrested again on the night of September 18, leading to two additional cases. According to affidavits written by Upland Patrolman Erik Schwab, Reese fled from police while driving his girlfriend’s Nissan Rogue without her permission. He drove west on 22nd Street at high speed with his headlights off, prompting Schwab to pursue him. Eventually, Reese abandoned the vehicle and was taken into custody while attempting to enter a residence on East 23rd Street.

During the arrest, Reese resisted by refusing to place his arms behind his back and thrashing around, striking officers with his head, feet, and arms. A subsequent blood draw revealed alcohol in his system. Since that night, he has remained in custody.

Defense attorney Tracie Burns requested that Reese be referred to SCI Chester for addiction treatment services. However, Reese is not eligible for a reduced sentence for participating in a state drug treatment program. Under the plea agreement negotiated by Burns and Assistant District Attorney Amy Cappelli, Reese will also have to serve seven years of concurrent probation, stay away from the victim, and forfeit the firearm and ammunition.

In addition to these conditions, Reese must provide a DNA sample to state police, pay $835 in fees, fines, and costs, attend safe driving, parenting, and anger management classes, undergo trauma therapy, and comply with the recommendations of a drug and alcohol evaluation. While he is not eligible for early release, he received credit for time already served. Reese declined to comment during the hearing.