In August of this year, 22-year-old Curtis Stough was arraigned on charges of operating a meth lab and attempted manufacturing of methamphetamine in Houghton County Circuit Court. Stough, a resident of Marquette, pleaded not guilty. He and 3 others were suspected of running a meth lab in Chassell, which was closed down in late June by police. If convicted, Stough would potentially face a sentence of up to 20 years in prison and possibly a $25,000 fine.
At a pretrial hearing in October, Stough pled guilty to the charge of attempted manufacturing of a controlled substance. On Monday November 19, Stough was sentenced to a minimum of two years in prison, with a maximum of 10 years. The judge in the case credited Stough with the 116 days he had already served, and charges of possession of methamphetamine and operating/maintaining a meth lab were dropped.
The three others who were involved include 21-year-old Kendall Clifton of Hancock, 25-year-old Nicole Saatio of Chassell, and 26-year-old Michael Newberry also of Chassell. Clifton entered a plea agreement in exchange for his testimony against the other three involved in the meth operation, pleading guilty to attempted possession of meth. According to news reports, Clifton was given a one year jail sentence in September.
Nicole Saatio will face a pretrial hearing in January, and is said to be undergoing treatment in Saginaw currently. December is when Michael Newberry will stand trial.
Curtis Stough stated at his sentencing that he is “determined to make a substantial change when it comes to my addiction and disregard for the law.” He urged Judge Charles Goodman to let him serve in prison boot camp, something usually not allowed in the first year, and said that he guaranteed this would be his first and last felony.
Narcotic and other illicit drugs are taken very seriously in the state of Michigan. Those convicted face severe penalties, even up to life in prison and fines of up to $1,000,000 depending upon the type and amount of drug involved, whether it was being manufactured or distributed, etc. It is critical that those arrested for any type of drug offense consult with a Michigan criminal defense lawyer at once.