Sarahsville man gets 5 years in prison for possession of methamphetamine

COSHOCTON − A Sarahsville man was sentenced Tuesday on drug charges in Coshocton County Common Pleas Court by Judge Robert Batchelor.

Marvin L. Yoder, 53, was indicted in August on a charge of aggravated possession of drugs, a second-degree felony, related to methamphetamine from an incident on June 23.

The Coshocton County Sheriff's Office received a report of a gray Jeep driving erratically and nearly striking a guardrail three times while eastbound on U.S. 36. An officer intercepted the Jeep and while checking the registration found Yoder had three active warrants. The methamphetamine was discovered during the traffic stop.

Coshocton County Prosecutor Ben Hall said the amount of meth was approximately 15.9 grams.

Yoder entered a guilty plea to the charge on Nov. 21, as part of a plea deal with the Coshocton County Prosecutor's Office. The state agreed to take no position on sentencing and to not oppose a pre-sentence investigation or bond.

Yoder received an indefinite term of 5 to 7.5 years in prison with the minimum time mandatory. He was granted 36 days credit for local incarceration and will serve from 18 months to 3 years of post release control. No fine or driver's license suspension was imposed.

Attorney Marie Seiber asked for three years in prison. She noted since Yoder had been out on bail he was employed, passed drug tests and done everything he's been ordered to do.

"I've been trying to do the right things. I've been clean five months," Yoder said. "I'm ready to take the steps, whatever I need to do for my recovery and the future."

Batchelor noted Yoder was previously convicted of possession of drugs related to methamphetamine in Noble County in 2019 and in Huron County from earlier this year.

"You've had plenty of warnings, Mr. Yoder, and yet you continue to possess methamphetamine and you did it in Coshocton County at a level that requires the court to sentence you to prison," Batchelor told the defendant. "I'm not seeing a lot of remorse here, because you continue to commit the same offense...This is something you need to address, Mr. Yoder, and you've failed to take any action up to this point to do that."

This article originally appeared on Coshocton Tribune: Sarahsville man sentenced for possession of methamphetamine