2/4/14 - A man who shot at cars along the I-96 corridor was sentenced today in one of the cases against him. Raulie Casteel learned his fate this morning in Oakland County Circuit Court in Pontiac when he was ordered to serve a minimum of 80 months, or more than six and a half years, up to ten years in prison. The 44-year-old unemployed geologist from Wixom was also ordered to pay more than $4,200 in restitution and court costs by Judge Denise Langford Morris who also ordered that he undergo mental health treatment. While he did not speak at today's hearing, his defense attorney, Douglas Mullkoff, told the court that his client was not acting rationally when he carried out the shootings. "Raulie Casteel did not choose mental illness, it chose him. And this is the hand he was dealt." Judge Morris responded by saying Casteel had to bear the responsibility for his actions. "Mental illness is a difficult challenge but it is something you have to seek help for before you engage in criminal activities." She also said it was fortunate he was a "lousy shot." Todayâs sentencing followed Casteelâs plea of no contest but mentally ill to assault and firearms charges last year in Oakland County. Last week, Casteel was convicted of terrorism in a related case in Livingston County. He faces up to life in prison in that case when he's sentenced early next month by Judge David Reader. Casteel testified in the terrorism trial that he shot at vehicles because of paranoid delusions that created fear and anxiety over long lines of traffic along I-96 and connecting roads. The nearly two-dozen shootings took place in four counties in the fall of 2012, putting the region on edge for weeks. (JK)
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