A Greenfield man was sentenced in Highland County Common Pleas Court to three years in community control on a methamphetamine possession charge.

Marshall Smith, 40, was sentenced to three years of community control on one count of aggravated possession of meth, a fifth-degree felony.

Court records stated that Smith was to serve time in the Highland County Jail until he was conveyed to the Star rehabilitation program, which he successfully complete along with recommended aftercare. If Smith violated any of the community control sanctions, he would be given a sentence of between six and 12 months and ordered to pay a fine of $2,000.

According to court documents, on May 31, 2022, a patrol officer in a marked cruiser was westbound on Jefferson Street in Greenfield when he noticed a Toyota Corolla with a loud exhaust. The officer activated the overhead lights on the cruiser to start a traffic stop, with the Toyota Corolla stopping on Jefferson Street. The patrol officer then initiated contact with the driver.

The driver said his name was Marshall Smith and that his license was suspended. There was also a passenger in the vehicle. After the patrol officer put both subjects’ information through dispatch, it was found that the passenger had an active warrant and Smith was driving under a suspended license. The officer then had the passenger exit the vehicle and placed them in handcuffs.

The passenger said that the bag they were holding had needles inside, but also said there was “no dope.” The passenger was then put in the back of the patrol officer’s vehicle. The patrol officer returned to the Toyota Corolla and told Smith to exit the vehicle. Smith said that all he did was smoke marijuana. There also a Crown Royal bag on the driver’s seat holding marijuana and marijuana paraphernalia. Smith also said there was a weed pipe in the center console.

The officer secured the passenger’s bag, the pipe in the center console and the Crown Royal bag, which was found to contain miscellaneous marijuana implements and a hypodermic syringe. Smith denied using the syringe and said he didn’t know where it came from. As the patrol officer was finishing the inventory of the vehicle before the car was to be towed, they found a small baggie that contained a white crystalline substance, according to court records.

The patrol officer asked Smith about the baggie with Smith saying that it wasn’t his and probably belonged to the passenger. The officer returned to the cruiser and advised the passenger of their Miranda Rights before questioning them about the baggie. The passenger said that the baggie wasn’t theirs, andg that Smith was using meth and it was his property. A short time after, the passenger said that they didn’t want to get Smith in trouble, saying that they wanted to take the blame, court records state.

The officer returned to Smith, who said he would take the blame for it because the passenger was already in trouble. However, he also continued to say the baggie wasn’t his. Smith was given a citation for driving under suspension and released from the scene. The vehicle was towed and the passenger taken to the Greenfield Police Department.

The bag that the passenger was holding was found to contain two hypodermic syringes and various other drug paraphernalia, which included small rubber containers with white crystalline residue, a tie-off and used cotton, among other items. Later in the afternoon, the passenger told the patrol officer that Smith purchased the meth and both subjects had been using it. The baggie that contained a crystalline substance was submitted to BCI and was found to contain meth.

Reach Jacob Clary at 937-402-2570.