Freetown resident guilty of dealing drugs: Man to be sentenced on meth charges

Brownstown

A Jackson Circuit Court jury has found a Freetown man guilty of 10 criminal charges, including three Class A felonies for dealing in methamphetamine.

Ronald Francis Pearson, 50, of the 8300 block of North County Road 490W, is scheduled to be sentenced at 2 p.m. Nov. 19 in circuit court at the courthouse, 111 S. Main St.

The jury returned with the verdicts after 3 p.m. Thursday.

Pearson also was found guilty of four Class C felony counts of possession of a controlled substance as well as one count each of maintaining a common nuisance, possession of marijuana and possession of paraphernalia.

The sentence for a Class A felony conviction ranges from 20 to 50 years in prison, while the penalty for a Class C conviction ranges from two to eight years.

Pearson’s trial began Tuesday morning with selection of a 12-member jury and two alternates. Opening statements were given Wednesday morning.

Pearson was arrested in early September 2011 on a Jackson Circuit warrant for one Class A felony count of dealing in methamphetamine more than 3 grams and two Class B felony counts of dealing in methamphetamine less than 3 grams.

That Jackson Superior Court II warrant was signed by Judge Bruce MacTavish on Aug. 29, 2011, and was the result of a two-month probe conducted by the sheriff’s department along with Brownstown and Seymour officers.

The possession of controlled substance charges stem from a second warrant issued Sept. 26, 2011.

The cases were combined into a single action by Jackson Circuit Judge Bill Vance this August after a request by Deputy Prosecuting Attorney Jeff Chalfant.

Pearson was represented by Corydon attorney Brian R. Chastain.