Defendants violate probation, blame drugs

 

On the heels of a mass overdose in Huntington this past week, some defendants in Lawrence County are hoping to kick their drug habits before it’s too late.

Dara Rowe, 37, of 13 Township Road 373, Ironton, admitted Wednesday to violating her community control sanctions. She previously pleaded guilty in March 2015 to tampering with evidence and possession of drugs and was originally sentenced to four years CCS under intensive supervised probation and STAR.

Judge Charles Cooper commented on Rowe’s education and noted that her master’s degree in counseling did not make her immune to the drug epidemic sweeping the Tri-State.

“Anybody can develop a substance abuse problem,” Cooper said. “Nobody is immune to it.”

The recommended sentence was that Rowe be sent back to STAR and her CCS to continue. Cooper asked the woman if she thought she could get clean, to which she replied yes.

“It’s your life and your existence,” Cooper said. “There are some extremely potent and dangerous drugs on the street can kill you unless naloxone or Narcan is available instantaneously.”

This past week there were close to 30 heroin-related overdoses in Huntington. Eight people were revived using naloxone. Two people died.

In another case Wednesday, a woman asked for a prison sentence to get her away from a life of drugs.

Sierra Hern, 20, of 999 Coal Bank Road, Ironton, admitted CCS violations. Back in April 2015, she was sent to STAR and put on probation after pleading guilty to two third-degree counts of trafficking in Alpha-PVP.

Her attorney, Warren Morford, said. “Her plans are to go do her time and try to beat her drug addiction,” and remove herself from friends who encouraged that lifestyle.

Cooper sentenced Hern to three years in prison.

In other cases:

• Amanda Ferrell, 34, of 513 Railroad St., Ironton, pleaded guilty to fifth-degree counts of possession of cocaine and possession of drugs. Cooper set sentencing for Sept. 7 and her bond was revoked because she failed her drug screen.

• John Ferrell Jr., 45, of 914 N. Fifth St., Ironton, failed his pretrial drug screen. Ferrell will remain under the custody of Hope Tower Ministries in Huntington and be under GPS monitoring through the Lawrence County Adult Probation Agency through the duration of the case. He is charged with fifth-degree counts of possession of cocaine and possession of drugs. Cooper set another pretrial for Sept. 14.

• Matthew Mullins, 24, of 131 Township Road 1426, South Point, changed his plea to not guilty by reason of insanity. He is charged with first-degree rape and third-degree gross sexual imposition. Cooper ordered the man be evaluated for competency.

• Mark Noel, 43, of 870 County Road 128, Ironton, was sentenced to four years CCS/ISP and a one-year driver’s license suspension. He was also ordered to forfeit $4,420. He previously pleaded guilty to a third-degree count of complicity to trafficking in drugs.