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Sabina man sentenced to prison in Highland County meth trafficking case

By
Caitlin Forsha, The Highland County Press

A Sabina man was sentenced to prison recently after pleading guilty to a meth trafficking charge in Highland County Common Pleas Court.

Dusty Cox, 44, was indicted by a Highland County grand jury in May on one count each of aggravated trafficking in methamphetamine and aggravated possession of methamphetamine, both third-degree felonies.

Cox pleaded guilty to the trafficking charge Aug. 28, with the possession charge dismissed, according to court records.

A bill of particulars alleges that on or about Oct. 4, a confidential informant (CI) working with the Highland County Task Force arranged to purchase an eight-ball of meth from Cox. The CI met Cox at a Hillsboro-area residence, where it is alleged Cox sold three and a half grams of meth to the CI.

Highland County Common Pleas Court Judge Rocky Coss sentenced Cox to 12 months in prison, with jail time credit of 56 days. Cox was also ordered to pay $90 in restitution to the Highland County Task Force.

Cox was previously convicted of a separate count of aggravated possession of methamphetamine, a fifth-degree felony, in March and sentenced to three years of community control. During the sentencing hearing Aug. 28, Coss revoked community control in that case after Cox admitted to violating the terms of community control supervision.

Judge Coss sentenced Cox to an additional six months in prison, with jail time credit of 45 days, in the March case. That term is to be served consecutively to the August case, for a total of 18 months in prison.

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