Not only is heroin addiction difficult to overcome but it's also expensive, as Cass County Prosecutor Victor Fitz pointed out Thursday in Cass Circuit Court.

Fitz commented on the drug's impact prior to the sentencing of Niles' resident Glenn Deal, 26, who in February entered a guilty plea to possessing less than 25 grams of the drug.

"He was spending $55 to $110 a day on heroin. ... Where he was getting that money from, the Lord (only) knows,'' Fitz said.

Gregory Feldman, Deal's court-appointed attorney, said his client "held down some jobs'' but the money Deal earned essentially was spent to feed his addiction. The cost speaks to the power of the drug, the attorney said.

"His drug of choice is as addictive as a drug will come," he said.

Deal told Dodge he needs help and has sought treatment but no one has offered to provide it. Dodge pointed out there's simply not enough public money to fix the problems of people with drug issues.

Ultimately, the judge said, Deal needs to take personal responsibility for kicking the habit.

Dodge sentenced Deal, who had two baggies of heroin in his possession when his car was stopped on Feb. 8 on Michigan 60 in Niles, to 270 days in jail. He'll receive credit for 58 days already served.

Also on Thursday, another Niles resident also received jail time for failing to register as a sex offender. Dodge said his record of first - and fourth-degree criminal sexual conduct convictions, one as a juvenile and the other as an adult, made it clear the suspect deserved more than straight probation.

Dodge sentenced him to two years of probation but said the first two months must be spent in jail. He'll receive credit for two days served.