Matthew Martin

Matthew Martin avoided jail time after he was sentenced on Monday at the Brown County Court of Common Pleas.

Martin, 32, of Hamersville, was sentenced by Scott T. Gusweiler, the common pleas judge, to two years of community control, with a period of up to six months served at the STAR Community Justice Center in Franklin Furnace, Ohio.

On June 10, Martin withdrew his not guilty plea and pleaded guilty to one charge of illegal assembly or possession of chemicals for the manufacture of drugs, a third-degree felony.

Martin was originally indicted on April 24 on three charges: one charge of aggravated possession of drugs, a first-degree felony; one charge of illegal manufacture of drugs, a second-degree felony and the charge of illegal assembly or possession of chemicals for the manufacture of drugs, according to his bill of indictment.

The indictment states Martin was dealing with methamphetamine and was classified as a “major drug offender,” selling the drug in an amount that’s at least 100 times bigger than the bulk amount.

As part of Martin’s guilty plea, the first two charges against him were dropped.

In addition to his time at the STAR Center, Martin has been fined $5,000, must pay the prosecution’s court costs, supervision fees of $30 per month, and his driver’s licence has been suspended for 12 months, with limited privileges.

He also must stay away from drugs and alcohol, undergo treatment as directed by the probation department, including anger management and thinking for change, and obtain his GED.

Reach Daniel Karell at 937-378-6161. Follow him on Twitter @GNDKarell