Man gets four years in meth lab case

Published 12:00 am Sunday, July 8, 2012

The last man involved in the case of a mobile meth lab found in Hanging Rock pleaded guilty Friday in Lawrence County Common Pleas Court.

Charles Price, 40, of 2121 Vermont Ave., Portsmouth, pleaded guilty to an amended charge of third-degree illegal assembly or possession of chemicals for the manufacturing of drugs. The charge was originally a second-degree felony, but was amended, deleting the language that alleged the criminal act took place in the vicinity of a school.

Counts of first-degree illegal manufacturing of drugs and fifth-degree possession of criminal tools were also dropped.

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Judge Charles Cooper sentenced Price to four years in prison.

Three others also pleaded guilty for their involvement.

Danny Brown, 43, of 2121 Vermont Ave., Portsmouth, and Charles Bond II, 49, of 486 Hammerstein Road, Lot 110, Wheelersburg, were sentenced to eight years in prison for first-degree illegal manufacturing of drugs, second-degree illegal assembly or possession of chemicals for the manufacturing of drugs and fifth-degree possession of criminal tools.

Randy Stevens, 42, of 1220 North Ave., pleaded guilty Tuesday to the same charges as Price. Cooper scheduled sentencing for July 11.

In late February, the four men were stopped by a Hanging Rock Police Officer who noticed things he thought were suspicious. A search of the truck confirmed the officer’s suspicions and the four men were arrested.