Introducing the Putman family, the man who murdered three people and was sentenced to prison

The driver responsible for the deaths of three members of the Putman family will serve time in prison.

Pavel B. Shchukin, 55, pleaded no contest to three counts of mobile manslaughter, a misdemeanor, in a Michigan court on Dec. 9, according to court records obtained by PEOPLE. He was sentenced to one year in prison and ordered to pay a $1,425 fine.

On September 27, Isabelle Putman announced in a post on her family’s shared Instagram account that her grandfather “Papa” Bill Putman, grandmother “Nee-Nee” Barb Putman, and aunt Megan passed away in a “tragic car accident.” Megan’s husband Blake and their children Noah, Lulu and Alena were also injured in the crash and hospitalized, as was Blake’s brother Brandon’s daughter Gia.

“Please continue to pray for the recovery of Uncle Blake, Lulu, Alena, Noah and Gia, and for our entire family as we overcome this profound loss,” Isabelle wrote at the time. “Thank you for all the prayers, messages and acts of love. Your support means more than words can express.”

The family shot to fame in 2017 when they appeared on TLC’s six-episode reality series “Meet the Putmans.” The series follows Bill, his wife Barb, their four children, and their extended family as they live together in one giant house. The show was later revived in 2021 as the YouTube series “Growing Up Putman,” but its last upload was in January.

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Loved ones who run the family’s social media accounts have continued to provide updates on the survivor’s health since the incident. They also released a statement on Dec. 9, before speaking in court for Mr. Shchukin’s sentencing.

“Our family has experienced and continues to experience some significant challenges over the past three months, to say the least,” the statement began. “We lost three godly men, life leaders who sought wisdom every day. We fought for our children’s lives, with four children in the hospital at once.”

“Yesterday, Gia underwent her 10th major surgery in the past 75 days,” the statement continued, referring to what was later determined to be cranioplasty. “Since September 26th, our family has not been fully together. Today, three months later, the man who caused the accident will be heard and sentenced, and our family will speak to him in court for the first time.”

The statement also praised medical professionals and praised the family’s faith in God for helping them get through a difficult time.

“We believe in the power of prayer, and of course we humbly ask you to pray for Gia’s health, but also for the words that Billy and Blake will say to this man in court today,” the statement concluded. “And in the words we say to everyone we meet at the hospital: God, please use us!”