Four others sentenced on drug charges

Corey A. Powell, 21, of Proctorville, appeared before Judge Charles Cooper on Wednesday morning and was sentenced to six years in prison on charges of 1st degree felony rape and unlawful sexual conduct with a minor. Powell had previously plead guilty on May 17 to those two counts in a plea deal that nullified eight other counts of gross sexual imposition for his repeated inappropriate sexual contact with a 14-year-old girl.

William F. Salyers, 36, of Ironton, was also sentenced on Wednesday for his involvement in trafficking in drugs, namely methamphetamine, a felony of the fourth degree. Salyers had previously dismissed his counsel, Warren Morford, on June 17, stating that there was “no trust” between himself and his attorney, and that he intended to represent himself. Cooper advised Salyers at that time that he would provide shadow counsel, to advise him on navigating the legal system, but that he could not provide him with another court appointed attorney.

Salyers returned before Cooper to plead guilty on June 7, and was sentenced yesterday to five years in prison for his offense.

Brian K. Layne, 39, of Ironton, was sentenced to 24 months in prison on charges of trafficking and conspiracy to trafficking in methamphetamine. Layne, who accepted a plea deal and pleaded guilty on June 7, was sentenced to 18 months each on two counts of conspiracy to trafficking, with sentences to run concurrently, and to six months for trafficking in drugs, to run consecutively, for a total of 24 months.

Robert A. Duty, 53, of South Point, was sentenced to four years in prison on five counts of trafficking in drugs.

Duty, who pleaded guilty to the charges on May 24, was sentenced to 17 months each on two fourth degree felony charges of trafficking in heroin, four years on an second degree felony charge of trafficking in heroin, 11 months on an fifth degree felony charge of trafficking in cocaine, and 17 months on an fourth degree felony charge of trafficking in Oxycodone, with all sentences to run consecutively for a total of four years, with possibility for judicial release after three years.

Chaz L. McCoy, 27, of South Point, pleaded guilty to two counts of aggravated trafficking in methamphetamine in the vicinity of a juvenile, felonies of the third degree, in a plea deal that nullified two other charges. He was sentenced to a total of four years, with possibility for judicial release in two years. McCoy was sentenced to three years on the first charge and an additional year on the second charge, to run consecutively.

Third degree felony charges generally carry a mandatory fine of $5,000 each, but Cooper dismissed those fines based on McCoy being indigent.
Christopher Mattern, 32, of Wintersville, was sentenced to five years in prison on charges of F2 burglary. Mattern pleaded guilty last week to the charge of burglary as part of a plea deal that nullified charges of tampering with evidence, misuse of a credit card, and receiving stolen property.
Danny J. Martin, 61, of South Point was sentenced to 20 months in prison for CCS violations.

Andrew L. Thompson, 33, of Chesapeake, denied his CCS violation. Trial will be set at a future date.

Jason K. Bell, 41, of Ironton, pleaded guilty to a count of DUI in a plea deal that nullified a second count of driving with a suspended license. Bell, who has six prior DUI convictions, was released on $25,000 own recognizances bond with SCRAM and GPS monitoring, and will return next week for sentencing in the case.

In Judge Andrew Ballard’s court, Jeremy Lewis, 38, of Catlettsburg, pleaded guilty to fifth degree felony possession of methamphetamine, and was sentenced to one year of CCS and ordered to serve 190 days in the county jail.

Blake Meadows, 25, of South Point, admitted to violating the conditions of his community control sanctions and had his CCS extended one year, as well as being ordered to complete a program at Mended Reeds.

Marcus Sloan, 18, of Ironton, became the third person to successfully complete the treatment in lieu of conviction program through Ballard’s court. Ballard praised the young man for taking the initiative to leave a home and lifestyle where drug abuse was rampant and successfully turn his life around.