Staff Reports

Two individuals were sentenced in Brown County Common Pleas Court recently.

A three count indictment was filed against Jerry Wayne Nehus on April 24. The indictment charged count one, Aggravated Possession of Drugs, Major Drug Offender Specification, a Felony of the First Degree, having a maximum penalty of 11 years in the Ohio Department of Corrections, a $20,000 fine and an operator license suspension between six months and three years, count two, Illegal Manufacture of Drugs, a Felony of the Second Degree, having a maximum penalty of eight years in prison and a $15,000 fine, and count three, Illegal Assembly or Possession of Chemicals for The Manufacture of Drugs, Felony of the Third Degree, having a maximum penalty of 36 months in prison, and a $10,000 fine. The defendant entered a plea of guilty to count two before Brown County Common Pleas Judge Scott T. Gusweiler on June 15.

On that same date Judge Gusweiler sentenced Nehus to six years in the Ohio Department of Corrections, three years being mandatory, and an operator license suspension of two years with a dismissal of counts one, three and specification to count two. Judge Gusweiler further advised the defendant of a mandatory three years of Post Release Control through the Adult Parole Authority upon his release from prison.

A hearing was held for Violation of Community Control Sanction on June 15, that was previously imposed on Feb. 12, against defendant William Vaughn. The defendant has been convicted of count 1, Trafficking in Drugs within vicinity of Juvenile, a felony of the fourth degree, having a maximum penalty of 18 months in prison and a fine of $5,000 and count 3, Trafficking in Heroin, a felony of the fifth degree, having a maximum penalty of 12 months in prison and a fine of $2,500. Defendant was placed on community control for a period of three years and was notified at the time that a violation could result in a total of 16 months in prison on both counts. The defendant appeared before Judge Gusweiler on June 15. On the same date the defendant waived hearing and admitted to the violations contained in the Probation Department Report.

On that same date Judge Gusweiler sentenced Vaughn to 16 months on count 1 and 10 months on count 3 to be served concurrently, in the Ohio Department of Corrections. Judge Gusweiler further advised the defendant of an optional three years of Post Release Control through the Adult Parole Authority upon his release from prison.