LIMA — A Lima man charged with trafficking in methamphetamines was sentenced Monday to six years in prison after agreeing to a negotiated deal with prosecutors.
A November grand jury indicted William Miller III, 43, on charges of aggravated trafficking in drugs, a second-degree felony that included a one-year firearm specification as well as specifications for the forfeiture of a weapon and currency in a drug case.
During his sentencing hearing, Miller said he “had been in a bad place” at the time of his arrest. “Maybe I needed to be in a bad place to get to a better place,” he said.
Miller’s attorney, Marcus Moll, said substance abuse has been a “big issue” for his client.
“He wants to provide for his family when he gets out (of prison). He has taken responsibility for his actions,” Moll said.
In addition to the prison time, Miller will forfeit the firearm found in his possession as well as $397 in U.S. currency.
He was also indicted on lesser counts of aggravated possession of drugs, having weapons under disability, carrying a concealed weapon and the improper handling of a firearm in a motor vehicle.
Under the terms of the plea deal, the state agreed to dismiss the firearm specification attached to the aggravated trafficking charge in exchange to guilty pleas to that count as well as the weapons under disability charge. The remaining counts were also dismissed.
According to court records, officers with the Lima Police Department took part in an investigation of Miller’s activities. On Oct. 8 an officer initiated a traffic stop on a vehicle in which Miller was a passenger. The driver gave police consent to search the vehicle, and that search revealed clear plastic bags with a crystal-like substance believed to be meth. A loaded .22 caliber revolver was found under Williams’ seat.
A field test revealed the meth had a weight of greater than 25 grams. Williams admitted to police the bag was his, according to court documents.
.neFileBlock {
margin-bottom: 20px;
}
.neFileBlock p {
margin: 0px 0px 0px 0px;
}
.neFileBlock .neFile {
border-bottom: 1px dotted #aaa;
padding-bottom: 5px;
padding-top: 10px;
}
.neFileBlock .neCaption {
font-size: 85%;
}
