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Hillsboro woman sentenced on meth trafficking charges

By
Caitlin Forsha, The Highland County Press

A Hillsboro woman was sentenced to two years in prison recently after pleading guilty to meth trafficking charges.

As previously reported, Joey Fender, 46, of Hillsboro was charged with three counts each of aggravated trafficking in methamphetamine and aggravated possession of methamphetamine, all third-degree felonies, in October. Her indictment stemmed from a Highland County Task Force investigation.

Fender pleaded guilty to two of the aggravated trafficking in methamphetamine charges in December, with the remaining four counts dismissed.

For those counts, the indictment accused Fender of “knowingly selling or offering to sell,” meth in an amount equal to or exceeding bulk amount but less than five times bulk amount on June 11 and June 19.

At a hearing March 5, Highland County Common Pleas Court Rocky Coss sentenced Fender to 12 months on each count, to be served consecutively, for a total of 24 months in prison. She had jail time credit of two days.

Fender was additionally ordered to pay $180 in restitution to the HCTF and $120 in restitution joint and several with her co-defendant, Christopher Burns.

As previously reported, Burns was also sentenced to two years in prison after a jury convicted him of one count each of aggravated trafficking in methamphetamine and aggravated possession of methamphetamine, both third-degree felonies, in February. Fender was among the witnesses called by the state to testify at trial.

Fender was admitted into the Ohio Reformatory for Women March 13, according to the Ohio Department of Rehabilitation and Correction.

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