FARMINGTON — A Franklin County justice sentenced a Temple man Thursday to serve 30 months of an eight-year sentence for trafficking in heroin.

Guy Stevens, 42, formerly of Farmington, pleaded guilty to a Class B charge of unlawful trafficking in scheduled drugs on April 18. The maximum punishment is 10 years in prison and a $20,000 fine.

In a plea agreement, the state dismissed charges of aggravated trafficking in heroin, which carried a maximum penalty of 30 years in prison and a $50,000 fine, conspiracy to commit aggravated trafficking between June 30 and July 14, 2016, and illegal importation of scheduled drugs.

Upon his release, Stevens will serve two years of probation.

Farmington police Detective Darin Gilbert and Franklin County sheriff’s Detective Stephen Charles conducted a joint investigation.

Police intercepted co-defendant Mark Barrett’s vehicle driven by Stevens at around midnight July 14, 2016, on the Lucy Knowles Road in Farmington.

Barrett, 59, of Farmington, has not resolved his case. Another co-defendant, Chris Crockett, 56, of Farmington, has not had his case resolved.

When their car was stopped, Stevens and Barrett were returning from Massachusetts with about 37 grams of heroin they bought to sell, Assistant Attorney General David Fisher said. The two made the trip two or three times a week and brought back about $5,000 worth of heroin per trip, he said.

The state believes it was Barrett’s operation but Stevens was very much involved in driving Barrett to Massachusetts and packaging and selling the heroin once they arrived back in Farmington, Fisher said.

Stevens’ attorney, Paul Corey, said of the three co-defendants, Stevens is the least culpable.

Corey said Stevens had a minor criminal record with convictions of assault and criminal trespass but has never been sentenced to jail.

According to family members, Corey said, Stevens struggled financially and tried to keep his house after his wife’s death in 2011. Stevens’ teenage daughter noticed a difference in her father in 2016, Corey said. Since his arrest, Stevens turned his life around 180 degrees, Stevens’ daughter told Corey. She also told him that her father is a much better man, he said.

Franklin Cushman, who has employed Stevens for eight months, said Stevens has completely turned his life around and is clean and sober.

He is a “valuable” and “trusted” employee, Cushman said.

Stevens lived with his mother, Linda Stevens, in Temple after he lost his Farmington home following his arrest, Corey said.

Linda Stevens said her son has helped her very much over the years and was a tremendous support to her when she was in an abusive relationship and to his handicapped brother.

“I know I did wrong,” Guy Stevens said. “I am here to serve my time I want to put this behind me, serve my time and move on. I am here to take what you give me.”

He apologized to the court.

Corey argued that Stevens was a strong candidate for probation. He recommended that he serve 18 months of the eight-year sentence. The state wanted him to serve three years.

Justice Robert Mullen said when he walked into the courtroom he had not made up his mind on what the unsuspended portion of the sentence would be.

“I was inclined to think that eight years, all but three years suspended was appropriate,” he said, even generous.

But after weighing mitigating and aggravating factors, and listening to Stevens’ family, his employer, and Stevens himself, the judge was willing to to make a slight reduction to reduce the time served in prison to 30 months.

“You made a very bad choice,” Mullen told Stevens.

dperry@sunmediagroup.net

Guy Stevens