Kingsford man sentenced to 2+ years in prison after undercover predator operation

ALGER COUNTY, Mich. (WJMN) — A Kingsford man will serve at least two years in prison as a result of an undercover operation targeting adults attempting to commit sexual acts with minors was conducted by the Alger County Sheriff’s Office (ACSO).

The announcement came from Captain Matthew Waldron of the ACSO just over a week after Kingsford man Matthew Clarence Cooley accepted a deal to plead No Contest to charges of Child Abusive Communication Activity and Use of a Computer to Commit a Crime.

As a result of the deal, Cooley was sentenced to 2-20 years in prison.

The punishment stems from an ACSO operation in early 2023, where officers posed as underage children online. On March 10, Waldron said Cooley responded to officers before travelling from Kingsford to Munising with the intent to have sex with a minor. When he arrived to the agreed upon location, he was arrested by several officers.

“The Alger County Sheriff’s Office has conducted several of these operations with much success.  However, Matthew Cooley was the first subject that was issued a prison sentence as a result of the operation,” said Waldron.

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