Drug trafficking sends woman to prison

Published 11:03 pm Saturday, August 22, 2009

A woman who tried to elude the law by moving her drug dealing operations to a motel room pleaded guilty Wednesday in Lawrence County Common Pleas Court.

Jamie L. Mayhone, of 119 Ashland Drive, South Point, pleaded guilty to complicity to trafficking in powder cocaine, trafficking in crack cocaine and two counts of complicity to trafficking in crack cocaine.

Judge Charles Cooper sentenced her to four years in prison, suspended her driver’s license six months and ordered her to forfeit $294 confiscated at the time of her arrest to the Lawrence County Drug Task Force.

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Mayhone was arrested in June at a local motel, along with her companion, Joseph Stewart. He pleaded guilty to a multiple count drug indictment earlier this month and was also sentenced to four years in prison.

The pair were arrested after authorities began investigating complaints about drug activity at their South Point residence.

Authorities said the couple had actually gotten a room at an area motel to avoid being caught by police.

Four children under the age of 10 were in the motel room when Stewart and Mayhone were arrested.

Meanwhile, Shannon L. Workman, of Lovely, Ky., pleaded guilty Wednesday to amended charges of aggravated menacing and was sentenced to 180 days in jail, 177 of which were suspended, and three years probation.

Cooper issued a restraining order to prevent Workman from going around his victim.

Workman had originally been charged with one count of aggravated menacing and two counts of ethnic intimidation.

A South Point man told authorities Workman had threatened him and his family and had used racial slurs in doing so.

Workman told Cooper he had called the victim because the victim had threatened Workman’s sister.

The victim and Workman’s sister are neighbors. Workman told Cooper he didn’t understand why he was being punished but the victim, who had also been guilty of menacing, was not being punished.

“I just feel these people have done my sister wrong and the court is doing nothing to him,” Workman said. “I got his wife on video threatening to kill her (his sister). He got 40 hours community service. And since 2007 they have done nothing but threaten her and terrorize her.”

Workman said he had never been in trouble until now but thought he should take up for his sister. “The law of Ohio, I just don’t understand.”

In another case, a South Point woman was sent to prison for four years Wednesday after she pleaded guilty to possession of drugs, possession of crack, tampering with evidence and three counts of child endangerment.

Stephanie Kiser, 43, of 161 Township Road 1189, was arrested in May along with her husband, James, while they were eating at the Ponderosa steakhouse in Chesapeake.

Other patrons and restaurant staff called Lawrence County Sheriff’s deputies and said the Kisers appeared to be so “heavily medicated” that they were unable to care for their three children.

A search of the Kiser’s vehicle turned up numerous drugs obtained from a pharmacy in Florida.

The Kiser children, ranging in age from 17 months to nine years of age, were taken by Lawrence Children’s Services from the restaurant and later released to the care of a relative.

“Thank you for giving me a chance,” Kiser told Judge D. Scott Bowling. Charges are pending against James Kiser.

Also Wednesday, Robert S. Armstrong, 27, of 644 Township Road 212N, Willow Wood, admitted Wednesday he failed to notify authorities he had moved, as is required under the state’s sex offender laws. Robert S. Armstrong was sentenced to four years CCS/ISP.