A sentencing hearing scheduled in Putnam County Common Pleas Court for Gregory Preston of Cincinnati was postponed Thursday at the request of his attorney. Preston has pleaded guilty to aggravated trafficking in drugs for his role in selling a large amount of meth to an undercover FBI agent in Fort Jennings.
J Swygart | The Lima News
OTTAWA — Two men from Southern Ohio charged with selling methamphetamine last summer to an undercover agent at a Fort Jennings residence appeared Thursday in Putnam County Common Pleas Court.
One of the co-defendants entered into an agreement with prosecutors to resolve his case, while the other appeared less than an hour later and asked that his scheduled sentencing hearing be continued.
Gregory Preston, 32, of Cincinnati, had accepted a plea deal from prosecutors in November and was prepared for sentencing on Thursday until his attorney, Kenneth Rexford, requested a delay. Judge Keith Schierloh approved a continuance until a later date.
Preston was indicted in August on single counts of aggravated trafficking in drugs and aggravated trafficking in drugs, felonies of the first degree. He entered into a plea deal and pleaded guilty to an amended trafficking charge that reduced the level of the offense to a felony of the second degree.
According to court documents, Preston and two other persons — Sparkle McGuire and William Brown — transported approximately 200 grams of methamphetamine to a residence on North Water Street in Fort Jennings on Aug. 4. All three were arrested following a controlled drug buy conducted by a special agent with the FBI and a confidential informant.
McGuire, 24, of Dayton, was found sleeping in the vehicle used to bring the meth to Fort Jennings. A loaded 9mm gun was found within her reach and she was charged with improper handling of a firearm in a motor vehicle, a fourth-degree felony. Brown, 38, also of Dayton, was charged with aggravated possession and aggravated trafficking of drugs.
An affidavit seeking a search warrant of the Fort Jennings residence, sought by the FBI’s Northwest Ohio Safe Streets Task Force, stated the Putnam County Sheriff’s Office had received complaints from neighbors in mid-July alerting authorities of suspicious activity at the Water Street location, with cars and motorcycles reportedly “coming and going at all hours of the day.”
In early August a confidential agent provided information to the FBI that an unknown male would be transporting up to two pounds of meth and a small amount of crack cocaine to Fort Jennings for sale, resulting in the arrest of Preston, Brown and McGuire.
Schierloh said the charges against Preston and Brown carry maximum possible prison sentences of 12 years and a possible $15,000 fine.
Brown accepts his deal
Brown, 38, appeared before Schierloh on Thursday, about an hour before Preston was slated to be sentenced, and entered into an agreement with prosecutors to a reduced charge. Indicted on single first-degree felony counts of aggravated trafficking and aggravated possession of drugs, Brown pleaded guilty to a second-degree felony count of aggravated trafficking in drugs.
A pre-sentence report will be prepared and he will be sentenced Feb. 5.
Brown told Schierloh on Thursday that he was “just along for the ride” when he found himself in Fort Jennings for the drug transaction. He did admit to serving as a conduit and connecting the confidential informant with Preston.
“I never touched any drugs; I never sold any drugs,” Brown told the judge.
