A 28-year-old Tremont, Illinois, man pleaded guilty on Monday to aggravated manufacturing of meth in residence where a minor younger than 18 resided. The man’s case had been expected to go to trial on Monday, and he could have received a sentence of up to 120 years if he had been convicted. Instead, the man is expected to serve 17.5 years of jail time with credit toward the 529 days that he has already served since his arrest.
The charges against the man stemmed from a reported raid on the man’s residence back in May 2013. During the raid, police allegedly recovered a cooking vessel that tested positive for the presence of meth and weighed more than 200 grams. They also found a variety of other meth-making equipment. According to court records, the man reportedly threw one cooking vessel out a window as police made their way in.
Although the man had been offered other plea deals since his arrest, the man’s prosecution became delayed back in October after he reportedly told the court that he did not think that he was mentally stable enough to make a determination as to whether he should enter into a plea agreement or proceed to trial. The man stated at that time that he was bipolar and had not been able to take medicine while he was incarcerated. The medicine is used to control his mental condition. He informed the judge on Monday that he felt his mind was now clear enough that he could make a decision and accepted the plea agreement.
Defendants who are accused of drug manufacturing may face stiff prison sentences if they are convicted. An experienced Illinois criminal attorney may be able to assist a defendant during the difficult legal process.
Source: Source: Journal Star, “Tremont man pleads guilty to making meth,” Michael Smothers, July 7, 2014
