7/11/11 Mansfield man gets prison on meth charge

  • By Nick Sabo
  • July 11, 2011
  • 289
                        
SUMMARY: Will get shot at treatment after one year A Mansfield man who has been using drugs since age 12 will have a shot at treatment after he serves a year in prison. Andrew Stout, 34, 646 Sherwood Drive, was sentenced in Holmes County Common Pleas Court Thursday July 8 to two years in prison on one count of sale of a schedule II drug in the vicinity of a juvenile and one count of attempted illegal assembly or possession of chemicals for the manufacture of methamphetamine. The charges stem from two separate instances, with the sale of a schedule II drug occurring while Stout was out on bond for the methamphetamine charge. The attempted illegal assembly or possession of chemicals for the manufacture of methamphetamine stems from Feb. 23 when Stout was a passenger in a routine traffic stop. A search of the vehicle turned up five boxes of pseudoephedrine cold pills, lantern fuel, batteries and tools typically used to remove lithium strips from batteries, all items commonly used to make methamphetamine. Stout’s sentencing date on the methamphetamine charge was continued after prosecutors learned Stout was suspected of selling drugs April 25 to a confidential informant working with the Holmes County Sheriff’s narcotics unit. Stout said he sold the Suboxone because he believed the informant was going to use it instead of heroin, and viewed Suboxone as safer. The sale occurred in the parking lot of a public building where juveniles were present. Stout had a prescription for Suboxone and was using it to kick his own heroin habit. Suboxone is used in treatment programs to wean addicts off opiates. Stout’s attorney, Christina Smith, said her client understands the sale was wrong. “He thought he was helping a friend, it doesn’t mean he’s going to do that again,” Smith said. When questioned by Common Pleas Court Judge Robert D. Rinfret about how long drugs have been an issue in his life, Stout said he started using “acid and weed” when he was 12 years old. He said he has never had a period of sobriety longer than a year. Rinfret said he will consider letting Stout into the residential treatment program at the Stark Regional Community Corrections Center in 12 months. The program at SRCCC usually runs from five to six months. “You should avail yourself of any treatment in prison,” Rinfret said. “I’m going to look at that when I consider SRCCC.” In addition to the prison time, Rinfret suspended Stout’s driver’s license for five years.


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