Prosecution result of taskforce investigation

 

Manufacturing drugs and then selling them to an undercover informant resulted in prison time for an Ironton man.

Jon Thacker, 32, of 404 Township Road 301, was sentenced to six years in prison for fourth-degree trafficking in drugs and second-degree illegal manufacturing of drugs Wednesday in Lawrence County Common Pleas Court. Thacker had previously pleaded guilty to the charges.

Assistant Prosecuting Attorney Brigham Anderson said the Lawrence County Drug and Major Crimes Task Force executed a search warrant at Thacker’s residence in September following the sale of meth to an informant. During the search, investigators found metal spoons, tubing, coffee filters and plastic containers, which were found to have meth residue on them, Anderson said. Some of the materials were found in the home and some were found in burn piles behind the house.

“We feel this is a very serious matter,” Anderson said, noting that investigating the scene put officers at risk. “… The mere manufacturing of it (meth) could be deadly.”

Thacker’s attorney, Scott Evans, disagreed with the recommendation of six years in prison for his client, saying the man had no prior felony record.

Evans asked that Thacker be offered judicial release after two years in prison.

Judge. D. Scott Bowling offered Thacker some advice.

“If you would like a good shot of getting out of prison on the lower end of that prison term, you need to stay out of trouble while you’re in prison,” Bowling said.

Bowling also ordered Thacker to pay a $7,500 fine and a $1,250 fine for the charges, ordered that he pay is court costs and suspended his driver’s license for one year.

In other cases:

• Jason Tackett, 31, of 187 Township Road 616, South Point, pleaded guilty to driving while intoxicated.

Bowling sentenced the man to one year in prison, suspended his driver’s license for three years, ordered him to pay a $1,350 fine and court costs.

Tackett asked the judge to let him report to jail after Christmas so he could work another week and help his wife and two young children move out of their trailer.

“They don’t have anyone to help them,” Tackett said.

“I can’t under law,” Bowling said.

Bowling did agree to vacate the sentence and rescheduled sentencing for Jan. 2 He also ordered a pre-sentence investigation, saying Tackett could be sentenced to up to 30 months in prison depending on the outcome of the investigation.

• Matthew McFarland, 20, of 201 Dutey Drive, Coal Grove, pleaded guilty to two counts of fifth-degree assault of a peace officer. Both counts were lowered from fourth-degree felonies.

Bowling sentenced the man to one year in prison for each count to be served concurrently, and ordered him to pay his court costs.

• Kayla Harless, 25, of 836 Virginia Ave., Apt. E, Huntington, W.Va., was arraigned on a bill of information of fifth-degree theft. Harless pleaded not guilty through attorney Scott Evans. Bowling set bond at $20,000 own-recognizance and set a pretrial for Jan. 9.