Price sentenced to 5 years on meth charges

A Hillsboro man who had been scheduled to stand trial Monday on charges that he operated a meth lab in the vicinity of juveniles has pleaded guilty and been sentenced to five years in prison.

Chadwick Price was indicted in March in two separate cases by a grand jury in Highland County Common Pleas Court, both regarding the illegal manufacture of drugs.

In the first case, he was charged with illegal assembly or possession of chemicals used for the manufacture of drugs, a felony of the third degree; aggravated possession of drugs, a felony of the fifth degree; and possession of criminal tools, a felony of the fifth degree.

In the second case, he was charged with two counts of illegal manufacture of drugs in the vicinity of a juvenile, felonies of the first and second degree; and endangering children, a felony of the third degree.

In the second case, two co-defendants in the case, Donald and Kimberly Collins, each pleaded guilty to one count of illegal assembly in the vicinity of a juvenile, a felony of the second degree. As a result of the pleas, the state dismissed the remaining charges. They were each sentenced to three years in prison.

In both cases, the state was represented by Highland County Prosecutor Anneka Collins.

On June 5, Price, who was represented by Hillsboro attorney Bill Armintrout, pleaded guilty in that case to an amended count of illegal assembly and one count of endangering children. As a result of the plea, the remaining charges were dismissed.

Highland County Common Pleas Court Judge Rocky Coss sentenced him to serve 30 months in prison, to be served consecutive to the other criminal case.

On that same day, Price pleaded guilty to one count of illegal assembly of chemicals used in the manufacture of drugs, a felony of the third degree.

Coss sentenced him to 30 months in prison, for a total of 5 years in prison.

Price was given 115 days of jail time credit, ordered to pay court costs, and his driving privileges were suspended for three years.