A Hillsboro man was sentenced to three years of community control recently on drug charges in Highland County Common Pleas Court.

Dwayne Devine Jr., 30, was sentenced on one count of selling dangerous drugs, a fourth-degree felony; and one count of trafficking in drugs, a fifth-degree felony.

Devine Jr. was ordered to successfully complete the TRC Substance Use Disorder treatment plan, obtain his GED and also seek employment.

He was also ordered to pay $80 alongside his accomplice and then $80 by himself to the Highland County Victim Witness Office. The court also ordered that if Devine Jr. violates any of the community control sanctions, he would be given a sentence of between six and 30 months and ordered to pay a fine of $7,000.

According to court documents for the first case, on or around Nov. 8, 2022, two investigators and an officer met with a confidential informant (CI) who said they could purchase pills and marijuana products from Devine Jr. on Cathys Court in Hillsboro.

The CI left Cathys Court after about 34 minutes and then went to the meeting location with the officers. The CI turned over $65, two THC cartridges, a zip lock baggie that held 10 pink pills and a plastic baggie that contained suspected marijuana. The CI then indicated they went to Devine Jr.’s trailer on Cathys Court after which nobody answered the door.

The CI called Devine Jr., who said he would be there in five minutes and his wife and children were inside sleeping. A short time later, Devine Jr. got to the location and the CI went inside the trailer with him. The CI indicated someone who looked to be around 15 years old was inside. The CI also said they saw a handgun, which Devine Jr. reportedly said was a 9 mm.

The CI got the two THC cartridges, 10 Gabapentin pills and marijuana from Devine Jr. in exchange for $85. One of the investigators looked at the video from the transaction and saw the handgun. While they were looking at the video, the investigator also heard Devine Jr. talking about someone who had Subutex for sale and heard Devine Jr. call that person. The pills purchased from Devine Jr. were submitted to BCI for analysis and identified as Gabapentin, which is classified as a dangerous drug, by using logo identification.

According to court documents for the second count, on or around Nov. 8, 2022, two investigators and an officer met with a CI who had talked to Devine Jr. and said he knew someone who had Subutex for sale. According to the CI, Devine Jr. would call that person and then Devine Jr. would give the CI that person’s number.

The CI was given $100 for the transaction. The CI called the seller who then gave them the directions to Hiawatha Drive. The seller told the CI that they would be along the road. The CI drove to the location and met with them.

They gave over four orange oval-shaped pills and $20 to one of the investigators. They said they met with the seller in a driveway on Hiawatha Drive and gave them $80, after which the seller gave the CI four orange pills. The CI then identified the seller from a photo lineup. The pills were submitted to BCI for testing, with one pill found to contain Buprenorphine, a Schedule III controlled substance.

Reach Jacob Clary at 937-402-2570.