Two Greenfield men that were arrested in two different busts in April and charged with manufacturing methamphetamine have been sentenced to years in prison each.
Jerry Lee Beatty, 48, pled guilty to illegal manufacture of drugs in the vicinity of a juvenile, a first-degree felony, and was sentenced to five years in prison.
The prison term is mandatory, meaning that Beatty must serve all of the five years. Following the sentence’s completion, he will be under a mandatory five years of supervision by the Adult Parole Authority (APA).
Beatty was arrested in April in Hillsboro after a traffic stop. According to Highland County Prosecutor Anneka Collins on Wednesday, Beatty “has been extremely cooperative,” adding that when the traffic stop occurred and the officer approached the passenger side of the vehicle where Beatty was seated and asked if there was anything in the vehicle; Beatty handed over a one-pot meth lab, admitting that it was his.
As previously reported, at the time of the traffic stop there was a child in the car.
Beatty has a prior felony and prison history.
Sentenced on the same charge was Richard R. Baker, 41. He must serve all of a four-year sentence and will also be under five years of supervision by the APA following the completion of that sentence.
As previously reported, Baker was arrested in Greenfield in April after multiple one-pot meth labs were located in his residence. At the time of the investigation, three children were in the home.
According to the court, Baker has one previous felony conviction, but has never been to prison.
Collins said Baker took responsibility for making meth in the residence, where he lived with co-defendant Tiffany M. Bennett.
Bennett, 29, also pled guilty on Wednesday, but to third-degree felony illegal assembly or possession of chemicals for the manufacture of drugs. She was sentenced to two and a half years in prison.
Collins said Bennett has no criminal history “whatsoever.” The prosecutor told the court the defendant has a “serious addiction,” but was not responsible for making the meth.
The state in the plea agreement recommended 30 months in prison, but said it would not object to Bennett being released to the STAR residential treatment facility after six months of incarceration.
In other hearings, Alex S. Gruber, 29, Hillsboro, was sentenced to community control and STAR on third-degree felony illegal assembly. He was also continued on community control on a probation violation on another case.
Nicholas Lightner, 38, Greenfield, was continued on community control and treatment on probation violations. He was initially sentenced to the same in December after pleading guilty to drug trafficking charges. Additionally, he is to be under six months of house arrest.
Joshua Lee Howard, 34, Hillsboro, was sentenced to community control and STAR for fifth-degree felony heroin possession.
Jason Tyler McCoy, 20, Hillsboro, was sentenced to community control and STAR for fifth-degree felony heroin possession. He was initially granted intervention in lieu of conviction in August 2015, but was terminated from that program in May after he was found to have violated his probation.
James J. Deeter, 37, Hillsboro, was sentenced to community control and treatment on one count of third-degree felony illegal assembly.
Travis Andrew Tracy, 21, Hillsboro, was granted intervention in lieu of conviction on a heroin possession charge.
Kelly Lowe, 35, Leesburg, was granted intervention in lieu of conviction on two counts of fourth-degree felony deception to obtain a dangerous drug.
Aaron D. Senters, 22, Hillsboro, was granted intervention in lieu of conviction on a heroin possession charge.
Katrina K. Cullom, 48, Hillsboro, pled guilty to fifth-degree felony cocaine possession and was granted entry into the prosecutor’s diversion program.
While Tracy, Lowe, Senters and Cullom are successfully engaged in the programs, further prosecution on their respective cases will cease. By successfully completing their programs, the felony charges can be dismissed.
Anna F. Reffitt, 27, Hillsboro, pled guilty to third-degree felony illegal assembly, a charge amended from a second-degree felony. She is scheduled to be sentenced in July.
Reach Angela Shepherd at 937-393-3456, ext. 1681, or on Twitter @wordyshepherd.
