A Starke County man was sentenced to 13 years in the Department of Corrections for manufacturing methamphetamine at the Super Value Inn in Knox. According to the criminal information filed in the court, Lolus Johnson was charged with Theft and Possession of a Controlled Substance as Class D felonies and Possession of Marijuana as a Class A misdemeanor on March 30 after he stole shoes from Dollar General and was arrested. Police then found oxycodone, a controlled substance, on his person along with marijuana.
Johnson was later charged with Dealing in Methamphetamine as Class B felony, as well as Possession of Chemical Reagents or Precursors, Possession of Methamphetamine, and Possession of a Controlled Substance as Class D felonies. He was also once again charged with Possession of Marijuana as a Class A misdemeanor. These charges stemmed from his arrest on Sept. 1, when he was found with methamphetamine, lithium batteries, organic solvant, ammonium nitrate and pseudoephedrine, as well as acetaminophen, hydrocodone bitartrate, and marijuana.
Johnson pleaded guilty to Possession of a Controlled Substance as a Class D felony and received a sentence of 18 months in the Department of Corrections with six months suspended. He also pleaded guilty to Possession of Marjuana and received a one-year sentence in county jail with none suspended. The sentences will run concurrently.
In the second case, Johnson pleaded guilty to Dealing in Methamphetamine as a Class B felony and was sentenced to 12 years in the Department of Corrections with none of that sentence suspended. The court recommended to the Department of Corrections that Johnson be admitted into the Clean Living is Forever Free program, and once he has served half of his sentence and completed that program, Johnson can petition the court for a modification of his sentence.
Johnson will serve the sentences in the two cases consecutively for a total of 13 years in the Department of Corrections.
