An Ironton man who pleaded guilty last year in connection with the death of his step-father was granted judicial release from prison Wednesday.

Thomas Keaton, 26, will be released on community controlled sanctions but must complete a six-month program at the STAR Criminal Justice Center.

Keaton pleaded guilty in May 2005 to involuntary manslaughter. He is accused of striking and causing the death of Robert Gore, also of Ironton. At that time he was sentenced to four years in prison. He has served 16 months of that prison term.

In other matters, a South Point man who pleaded guilty in July to a four-count indictment on drug charges was sentenced Wednesday to a total of four years in prison and fined a total of $37,500. Charles Tabler, 45, of 27 Private Drive 708, asked Judge Frank McCown if he could be released from prison for a short time to get his affairs in order. McCown denied the request, since Tabler’s girlfriend, Kimberly Maggard, 41, also of 27 Private Drive 708, has not turned herself into authorities as scheduled. Maggard pleaded guilty in July to burglary and drug charges stemming from two separate incidents. Maggard was sentenced to four years in prison on the burglary charge and was scheduled to be sentenced at a later date on the drug charges, after she testified against others arrested along with her and Tabler. At the time she pleaded guilty, she was allowed to out of jail to visit with a seriously ill family member before turning herself into authorities to begin serving sentence on the burglary charge.

Lawrence County Prosecutor J.B. Collier, Jr., said a warrant was issued for her arrest when she failed to show up in court last week. A new charge,

that of escape, will be presented to a Lawrence County grand jury the next time it meets.