Three Cornell Township residents charged with animal cruelty are due back in court Aug. 20, following their arraignment last week on one felony count of cruelty to 25 or more animals and eight misdemeanor counts each.
Brianna Makoskey, 23; Kruzz Makoskey, 22; and Nichole Jarvey, 45, were arraigned Monday, Aug. 3, in 94th District Court. Each was charged with one felony count of abandoning or cruelty to 25 or more animals and eight misdemeanor counts of abandoning or cruelty to one animal resulting in the animal's death, according to the Michigan State Police Eighth District.
All three were jailed in the Delta County Jail after arraignment. Bond was set at $10,000 cash or surety for each defendant. Their next court appearance is scheduled for Thursday, Aug. 20, in Delta County, according to WNMU.
The felony charge carries up to seven years in prison, a $10,000 fine, up to five years' probation, up to 500 hours of community service, or any combination, according to the Escanaba Daily Press. Each misdemeanor count is punishable by up to one year in jail, a $2,000 fine, up to 300 hours of community service, or any combination of those penalties.
The court also ordered all three defendants not to own or possess any animal during the proceedings and barred contact between the defendants and witnesses in the case, the Daily Press reported.
How the case began
On Feb. 3, the MSP Gladstone Post received a report of alleged animal neglect involving multiple individuals at the County Road 426 property in Cornell Township. Troopers executed a search warrant the following day, Feb. 4, and found several deceased animals on site, including cats, rabbits, pigs and goats, according to SooLeader.
Live animals in malnourished and unhealthy conditions were seized: 14 cats, 12 rabbits and one sheep, with assistance from the Delta Animal Shelter, SooLeader reported. Three shelter staff members removed the animals. The sheep was placed in a foster home; the cats and rabbits remain at the shelter under a police hold. Since arriving, two cats have given birth and one rabbit produced a litter.
The alleged offenses occurred between Dec. 1, 2025, and Feb. 3, according to court records cited by the Daily Press.
During the Feb. 4 search warrant execution, Brianna Makoskey bit one trooper on the wrist and attempted to bite a second after being told she was under arrest, per SooLeader. She was separately arraigned Feb. 5 on three felony counts of resisting, obstructing and assaulting a police officer, with bond set at $4,000. That case has since been bound over to Circuit Court, where it remains ongoing after she was found competent to stand trial, according to WZMQ.
Why charges took six months
Delta County Prosecuting Attorney Lauren Wickman said a "multitude of factors" played a role in the charging decision, she told MyUPNow. According to Wickman, the Michigan Department of Agriculture and Rural Development had investigated the property as recently as October 2025, recommended corrective actions, and documented that those actions were taken, the Daily Press reported.
Wickman said MDARD's involvement "hampered the ability of the Prosecutor's Office to pursue criminal charges due to the corrective measures and outcome documented in the MDARD report," she told the Daily Press.
The case drew significant community attention, with residents pressing for action on social media for months between the February search warrant and the August charges.
All three defendants are next due in court Thursday, Aug. 20.
