MILLERSBURG — A Wooster man on Wednesday was given a chance to avoid prison when he was sentenced to complete a treatment program for admittedly being in possession of methamphetamine. Shaun Hall, 38, 540 High St., previously pleaded guilty in Holmes County Common Pleas Court to aggravated possession of meth. In exchange for his guilty plea, a related charge of aggravated trafficking in meth was dismissed. Hall had faced up to a year in prison for the charge, and Judge Robert Rinfret imposed a term of 11 months, but immediately suspended the period of incarceration in favor of five years of community control, which includes the condition he complete a treatment program at the Stark Regional Community Corrections Center. Given the history of the Ohio Department of Corrections, Rinfret noted that by going to SRCCC, Hall will likely …show more content…
The charge stems from a July 13 search warrant executed on a house along Hardy Township Road 301. Acting several anonymous tips, reporting concerns of drug trafficking, due to high traffic volumes in the area, local law enforcement officers obtained a warrant to search the residence signed by Holmes County Juvenile/Probate Judge Tom Lee, said Joe Mullet, commander of the LEAD Task Force. The no-knock warrant was executed by members of the task force, as well as officers from the Holmes County and Coshocton County sheriffs' offices. There, they found Hall and two others. Hall was immediately taken into custody on two outstanding warrants for failure to appear from Wayne County. He was subsequently charged with drug violations. During the search, Mullet said, officers recovered “a lot” of drug paraphernalia — pipes, torches, scouring pads, digital scales and baggies. They also recovered 2.7 grams of crystal meth and suspected psychedelic mushrooms and prescription