A Florida man has been sentenced to 25 to 40 years in prison following his convictions stemming from a violent 2023 attack on the Michigan State Police post in Sault Ste. Marie.
James Itani, 41, was sentenced in Chippewa County Circuit Court after being convicted of terrorism, assault with intent to murder, and third-degree arson. The charges stem from a Sept. 6, 2023 incident in which prosecutors say Itani deliberately targeted the state police facility.
According to court records, Itani traveled to the post during the early morning hours armed with gasoline and firearms. Authorities said he set fire to multiple marked patrol vehicles, destroying four cruisers and causing nearly $190,000 in damage. After igniting the fires, Itani allegedly fired multiple rifle rounds near the burning vehicles and toward the post building, creating what officials described as a significant risk to responding officers.
Police said Itani fled the scene, prompting a manhunt. The following day, law enforcement located him through a tip from a community member and surveillance evidence. When officers executed a search warrant at his residence and ordered him to exit, authorities said Itani again fired multiple rounds at members of the Michigan State Police Emergency Support Team before he was taken into custody. Investigators reported that some rounds came within feet of striking officers positioned around the residence.
During the sentencing hearing, Chief Assistant Prosecuting Attorney Kristin M. Giommi described the incident as a calculated attack.
“This was not impulsive vandalism; it was a planned, targeted attack on law enforcement infrastructure, designed to draw officers into a position where they could be killed,” Giommi said while arguing for a sentence above the state’s sentencing guidelines.
Chippewa County Circuit Court Judge James P. Lambros agreed, noting the seriousness of the case when issuing the sentence.
“This case is more than a standard act of terrorism,” Lambros said. “It involves deliberate, premeditated targeting of law enforcement, sustained use of deadly force, extreme risk to multiple individuals, and substantial destruction of critical public safety resources.”
Chippewa County Prosecutor Robert L. Stratton said the sentence reflects the severity of the crimes and the need to protect the public.
“The sentence imposed today reflects the seriousness of that conduct and the need to protect our community,” Stratton said, noting his office sought a minimum sentence of at least 25 years.
Itani’s recommended sentencing guideline range was 11 years and three months to 18 years and nine months. The Michigan Department of Corrections recommended a sentence at the upper end of that range, specifically 18 to 40 years. After hearing arguments, the court imposed a sentence of 25 to 40 years.
Itani will not be eligible for parole until he has served at least 25 years of his sentence.
