Guilty pleas made in drug case

Published 10:20 am Thursday, June 18, 2015

Two men who were arrested in April during a drug bust at the Grandview Inn in South Point entered guilty pleas Wednesday in Lawrence County Common Pleas Court.

Tyron Loyd, 33, with an address listed at the Grandview, pleaded guilty to an amended count of fourth-degree complicity to trafficking in heroin, which was reduced from a third-degree felony. An additional count of complicity to trafficking was dismissed.

Deantae Gray, 23, of 12617 Glenfield St., Detroit, Michigan, pleaded guilty to a fourth-degree count of complicity to trafficking in heroin, which was reduced from third-degree felony. An addition count of the same charge was dismissed.

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Judge D. Scott Bowling set sentencing for both on Aug. 12.

Loyd and Gray were arrested following an investigation by the Lawrence Drug and Major Crimes Task Force into the sale of heroin, along with two other men.

Marquies Bell, also of Detroit, pleaded guilty earlier this month and was sentenced to three years in prison.

In other cases:

• Marcus Birchfield, 37, of 2163 County Road 22, Ironton, pleaded no contest to a fifth-degree count of theft. Bowling sentenced the man to six months in prison.

• Garri Carey, 48, of 403 Fourth St. E., South Point admitted CCS violations and was sentenced to three months in prison.

• Jason Thomas, 33, of 419 Vernon St. Apt 301, South Point, pleaded guilty to a count of fifth-degree possession of drugs and counts of misdemeanor abusing harmful intoxicants and endangering children. Bowling set sentencing for June 23, ordered a presentence investigation and set bond at $10,000 own-recognizance.

Prosecuting attorney Brigham Anderson said he objected to an OR bond on the grounds that Thomas was a danger to himself and the community.

• Misty Callicoat, 40, of 623 Cliff St., Ironton, pleaded guilty to a fourth-degree count of DUI. Sentencing was set for July 8.

• Richard Sharp, 51, of 1014 1/2 N. Third St., Ironton, pleaded guilty to two fifth-degree counts of trafficking in drugs. Bowling sentenced the man to 18 months in prison, a $1,250 fine and a six-month driver’s license suspension.

Sharp also admitted community control sanctions violations in judge Charles Cooper’s courtroom and was sentenced to 113 days in prison, to run concurrently with the 18-month sentence.

• Holly Lewis, 32, of 63 County Road 15, South Point, pleaded guilty to a fifth-degree count of possession of drugs and misdemeanor counts of possession of drug abuse instruments and drug paraphernalia. Bowling set sentencing for June 23 and set a $10,000 OR bond plus GPS monitoring.

• Lucy Parker, 55, of 52 Hobart Road, Lucasville, who previously pleaded guilty to fifth-degree possession of drugs and misdemeanor possession of drug paraphernalia, was sentenced to four years CCS under intensive supervised probation, STAR, a six-month driver’s license suspension, 200 hours community service and a $1,250 fine.

• Stephanie Risner, 23, of 105 Township Road 1424, South Point, admitted CCS violations and was sentenced to treatment at Mended Reeds.

• Bryson Gruber, 23, of 112 County Road 105, Kitts Hill, admitted CCS violations and was sentenced to treatment at New Beginnings.