News
Another Drug Ring Player Pleads Guilty
By: Susan Tebben | The Athens Messenger
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Another member of a drug ring out of Glouster has pleaded guilty to charges of trafficking and racketeering.
Bert Sharrer Jr., 18, of McConnelsville, entered into the plea agreement last week that saw him admit guilt to charges of aggravated trafficking in drugs and engaging in a pattern of corrupt activity.
Sharrer Jr., along with Bert C. Sharrer (his father), Kendra Sharrer, John Casey Metcalf and alleged drug ring head Derek Gyure, were all charged with engaging in corrupt activity after a joint bust conducted by the Athens County Sheriff’s Office, the Athens Police Department, the Ohio University Police Department and the Athens County Prosecutor’s Office in May.
The prosecution said in the agreement that it would recommend a five-year community control sentence with an underlying prison sentence of four years and 11 months should Sharrer, Jr., violate the terms of the agreement.
If Judge George McCarthy accepts the guilty plea, Sharrer, Jr. will also receive a license suspension of six months from the date of his arrest.
Sharrer Jr., is required to cooperate with the investigation by law enforcement and “testify truthfully in any related case,” according to court documents. He is required to find employment and enter and complete the Southeastern Probation Treatment Alternative (SEPTA) program, according to the plea agreement.
The maximum prison term Sharrer Jr., could have faced was nearly 13 years and a maximum fine of $25,000.
A sentencing hearing was scheduled for Aug. 25 in the case, and Sharrer, Jr., was to be released on recognizance until the sentencing. He was required to remain in the state, have no contact with codefendants and appear for a pre-sentence investigation, SEPTA evaluation and sentencing.
Sharrer Jr. is the third of the five to accept a plea agreement from the prosecution. Bert C. Sharrer was sentenced to 10 years in prison on July 2 and Metcalf received eight years in separate deals.