LIMA — He did the crime. Then he did the time.
He watched as drugs robbed him of seven years of his freedom, killed his sister and were the primary reason his younger brother is serving a life prison sentence.
He watched his attorney, who it was later learned had a history of mental illness issues and who he believes bungled some aspects of his case, die in a shootout with police in Bowling Green. He suffered through the disappointment of an early release from prison that was denied simply due to an error not of his making.
He learned that drugs aren’t the fun time he’d been promised, and he’s written a book from his prison cell to get that message out to as many people as possible.
Oh yes, and he’s been clean and sober now for seven years and seven months. But who’s counting?
Well, Brad Dietrich is counting, that’s who.
Eight years ago the Lima resident was living the high life as a dealer in methamphetamines — part of a ring of meth makers and suppliers that numbered near 40. Then it all came crashing down in an array of sirens, police with drawn guns, court appearances and prison time.
But at age 34, Dietrich is not only eager to talk about his destructive past and his newfound sobriety, he’s authored a book to tell that story.
Subtitled “A deep reflection on addiction, incarceration and sexual orientation,” Dietrich’s book “meth·an·chol·y” is the story of an admittedly gay former drug addict; someone prosecutors labeled a “ring-leader” in the distribution of methamphetamine in the Lima area. It’s a sometimes dark story with what Dietrich hopes is a silver lining of hope for others in a similar situation.
Dietrich said he wrote the book not for profit, but to “get my story out there. I’m fresh out of prison, fresh out of addiction, and there is hope out there. I wanted people to know that.”
Dietrich wrote “meth·an·chol·y” during his time in prison; about 90 handwritten pages in all. After pitching his book to dozens of agents and booksellers, he decided to go through www.Amazon.com to get his book into print. The book was released in late August and Dietrich will make about $5 from the sale of each book, which is available for $15 through Amazon.
IN THE BEGINNING: FROM ‘X’ TO METH
From the age of 16 through 25, Dietrich was a heavy user of the drug ecstasy — a powerful stimulant and mood changer that alters users’ perception of the world.
But as 2008 turned into 2009, Dietrich found a new favorite drug.
“I was using ecstasy real heavy at the time, but my significant other — Jason — introduced me to meth on New Year’s Eve. I tried it, thinking ‘what could it hurt?’ And I was hooked immediately. I used it constantly until I was indicted. It was only six months, but the addiction was very fast.”
Meth use quickly turned into meth distribution as Dietrich got caught up in a web of criminal activity. Dietrich says he was the “business end of the operation” that started with meth cooks Jason and Cynthia Deibel, who are still in prison for their roles in the operation. “Everybody [buyers and suppliers] went through me. No one knew who was cooking” the meth, Dietrich said.
A joint raid on May 26, 2009, landed the key players in court. But the charges were dropped within the week. In December of that year, eight individuals were again indicted in connection with the drug ring. Dietrich wasn’t one of them, but his reprieve was short-lived. On Feb. 17, 2010, he was arrested and charged with trafficking in drugs, possession of drugs and other related charges.
“I was facing 30 years” in prison, Dietrich recalled during an interview last week. “Basically what felt like a life sentence — because of drugs. I said to myself, ‘Drugs were supposed to be fun. Where’s the fun in this?’”
He was sentenced to five years of mandatory prison time and five years of nonmandatory time.
GETTING IT TOGETHER
As he entered the prison system, Dietrich said his priorities were focused on turning his life around. He maintained a clean prison record and served for more than four years as a recovery services program aide while behind bars. His goal was to gain early release for good behavior after serving five years.
After serving five years and six months, he was eligible to apply for early judicial release. But Judge Jeffrey Reed denied the request. Six months later he was once again eligible to seek early release, and this time it was approved. But before his release Dietrich learned that a sentencing snafu would delay his freedom. Even though his plea agreement allowed him to seek judicial release after five years, an error in sentencing meant that early release was not an option until he had served nine years.
“They said, ‘Sorry, you’ve got to go back to prison,’” Brad recalled.
Several months later an appellate court ruled that Dietrich should have been eligible for early release the first time around. He left prison on Feb. 17 of this year after serving exactly seven years of his possible 10-year sentence.
In his book, he recalls a court hearing on the day he was released. Dietrich writes that he told the court, “Being an addict and a dealer, I was a waste on society. Through all of my treatment and college education I know how to be successful. … All I need is this one chance. Everything’s all set up for me. Not only will I make my family proud, I’ll make my community and this court proud. I refuse to be a casualty or statistic. I will be a success.”
But it hasn’t been all roses. Dietrich was out of prison for just five weeks when drugs handed him yet another blow. His sister, Ashley, died of a drug overdose at the age of 32. That could easily have derailed Brad’s sobriety. But he’s come too far to turn back now.
“My brother’s in prison for life and my sister is dead because of drugs,” Dietrich said during an interview earlier this week. “I’m done with drugs.”
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