Huron County View

Meth manufacturer sent to prison





HURON COUNTY — A 33-year-old Bad Axe man will serve time in prison for cooking meth. Ronald Matthew Hartman Jr, 33, was sentenced Monday to threeand a-half to 20 years in prison for three charges related to manufacturing meth and 365 days for possessing the drug.

In July, he was convicted by a jury of operating or maintaining a laboratory involving methamphetamine, operating or maintaining a laboratory near specified places (such as a school, church or home), delivery or manufacture of methamphetamine and possession of methamphetamine. He will receive 171 days credit for time served, and the sentences will be served concurrently.

Huron County Sheriff Kelly J. Hanson said the sentence and conviction by jury sends a message to area drug addicts.

“It’s apparent that toleration for drug abuse is very low, and we certainly trust the judge’s discretion in ordering sentencing,” he said.

In addition to jail time, Hartman was ordered to pay $130 to the crime victims’ rights fund for the charge of maintaining a meth lab, and $68 per charge in state minimum costs, for a total of $402.

The meth lab was discovered on Feb. 21 while police were executing a search warrant at 215 W. Butler St., according to a press release from Bad Axe Police Chief David W. Rothe. During the raid, police seized methamphetamines, heroin, cocaine, drug paraphernalia, meth-making ingredients and money.

Ryan Scott Welshans, who was also arrested as a result of the raid, was convicted by a jury of five charges: Operating or maintaining a laboratory involving meth, operating or maintaining a laboratory near specified places, delivery or manufacture of meth, possession of meth and maintaining a drug house. After the jury was excused, Huron County Circuit Court Judge M. Richard Knoblock also declared Welshans a fourth-offense habitual offender for prior offenses, which include 2007 convictions of obstruction of justice and accessory after the fact and a 2001 conviction of fourth-degree criminal sexual conduct. Welshans will be sentenced Aug. 26, and he faces up to life in prison.

A third man involved in the bust, Thomas Jared-Frederick Conley, 21, of Bad Axe, pleaded guilty March 25 to three charges of delivery of a controlled substance. As a result of his plea deal, he testified against Welshans and Hartman. Conley was sentenced to 330 days in jail for two counts of delivery of a controlled substance and three years probation for a third count of the same charge.


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