Court hears drug, theft cases

Published 10:41 am Friday, April 3, 2015

A Huntington woman who was indicted a year ago by a Lawrence County grand jury was arraigned Wednesday in common pleas court.

Heather Farnsworth Baker, 31, of 3304 Crane Ave., was arraigned on two fifth-degree counts of trafficking in drugs, to which she pleaded not guilty.

Judge D. Scott Bowling set bond at $20,000 cash or surety and a pretrial was set for April 15.

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Baker was charged with a secret indictment in April of 2014. She wasn’t arrested until March 28 of this year.

In other cases:

• Bowling revoked a treatment in lieu sentence for Amanda Clark, 34, of 1125 S. Seventh St. Apt. F, Ironton. Clark admitted to using drugs and leaving her drug-counseling program earlier this year.

Bowling found the woman guilty of her original charge, fifth-degree possession of drugs, and sentenced her to four years community control sanctions under intensive supervised probation, STAR and 200 hours community service.

• Jennifer Flora, 25, of 6471 Merrits Creek Road, Huntington, was arraigned on a fifth-degree count of possession of a controlled substance and misdemeanor possession of drug abuse instruments, to which she pleaded not guilty.

Bond was set at $10,000 own recognizance and a $5,000 cash bond was transferred from a lower court. A pretrial was set for April 22.

• Marlana Johnson, 37, of 3049 Lydia St., Ashland, pleaded guilty to four fifth-degree counts of trafficking in drugs. Bowling ordered a presentence investigation and set sentencing for April 8.

• Arasheo Butler, 22, of 1021 S. Sixth St., Ironton, was arraigned on a bill of information of fifth-degree possession of cocaine, to which he pleaded guilty.

Bowling sentenced the man to six months in prison, a $1,250 fine and a six-month driver’s license suspension.

• Audrey Lester, 48, of 92 Township Road 1122, Proctorville, pleaded guilty to a fourth-degree count of theft of drugs. Bowling set sentencing for April 8.

• Marcus Birchfield, 37, of 2163 County Road 22, Ironton, was arraigned on a fifth-degree count of theft and misdemeanor attempted theft, to which he pleaded not guilty. Bowling set bond at $10,000 cash or surety and set a pretrial for April 15.

• Charles Baldridge, 38, of 455 29th St., Ashland, was sentenced to 12 months in prison for a fourth-degree count of receiving stolen property, to which he previously pleaded guilty.

• Justin Kersey, 26, of 2444 S. Sixth St., Ironton, was sentenced to four years CCS/ISP for a fifth-degree count of harassment by an inmate, to which he previously pleaded guilty. Bowling also ordered the man to serve four months of home confinement and 200 hours community service.