Appeals court upholds prison sentence for former Menominee County deputy

A Michigan appeals court has upheld the 9- to 15-year prison sentence of former Menominee County deputy and school liaison officer Brian William Helfert. The June 25 opinion leaves standing a March 2024 Menominee County jury conviction for second-degree criminal sexual conduct with a weapon.

Helfert worked as a police officer in various Menominee County schools and was known to students as “Officer Brian.” He also served as a D.A.R.E. officer and school resource, or liaison, officer before the Menominee County Sheriff’s Department fired him on Dec. 19, 2019.

The abuse began in 2006, when Helfert started tutoring a sophomore student. It escalated as the student reached 11th grade, and the victim later moved into Helfert’s home. Helfert coerced sexual contact under false pretenses, including pretending to apply aftershave lotion, perform testicular cancer checks and apply hemorrhoid medication. Two additional former students testified that Helfert had also sexually abused them, and one estimated the abuse happened about 40 times.

Helfert challenged the sentence by arguing that the trial court mis-scored offense variable 7, but the appeals court found the judge properly set it at 50 points. The advisory sentencing guidelines called for 29 to 57 months, yet the trial court imposed an upward departure, citing the repeated and escalating abuse and Helfert’s use of his police uniform, holstered firearm and patrol car to facilitate the crimes. He had already received 757 days of custody credit.

The June 25 opinion is unpublished and remains subject to revision until final publication in the Michigan Appeals Reports.