GREENVILLE – A Union City, Indiana, man was sentenced to four years in prison after pleading guilty to a second-degree felony drug charge in Darke County Common Pleas Court Tuesday morning.

Joseph A. Brown, 36, of Union City, Indiana, entered a plea of guilty before Judge Jonathan P. Hein to a charge of illegal assembly of possession of chemicals for the manufacture of drugs (methamphetamine) and was immediately sentenced on the second-degree felony. The prior conviction specification in the indictment was dropped as part of the plea agreement.

In addition to the four years in prison, Brown was fined $7,500 and ordered to pay court costs. His driver’s license also was suspended for three years. He was granted 166 days of jail time credit for time already served. After prison, Brown is subject to up to three years of post-release control under the Adult Parole Authority, and if he violates the terms of post-release control, he may be returned to prison for up to nine months.

Brown was arrested on Aug. 28 at a home on Sweitzer Street in Greenville and was found in possession of components used to manufacture methamphetamine. He has remained incarcerated from the time of his arrest, failing to post the bail of $75,000. Trial had been set for Feb. 16.

Several officers from the Greenville Police Department investigated this incident, including Detective Jason E. Marion. The state’s case was handled by Darke County Prosecuting Attorney R. Kelly Ormsby III. Brown was represented by his appointed counsel, Kristina M. Coen, of Dayton.