By Meladi Brewer

DailyAdvocate.com

GREENVILLE — Marty D. Griggs, Jr. appeared for a six count indictment. Judge Jonathan P. Hein presided.

Griggs, 35, of Greenville, appeared for a six count indictment. Count one and three are trafficking in drugs, felonies of the third degree, count two is trafficking in drugs, a felony of the fourth degree, count four and six are complicity to aggravated trafficking in drugs, both felonies of the fourth degree, and count five is aggravated trafficking of drugs, a felony of the fifth degree. Griggs also has a new case pending for aggravated possessions of drugs, a felony of the second degree.

State Prosecutor Deborah Quigley advised the state had filed a motion in opposition for a bond modification after Defense Attorney David Rohrer ask the court to reevaluate the $50,000 blanket bond. Quigley advised the defendant was originally found hiding behind the co-defendant’s water heater. The co-defendant lied to the officers about Griggs being on the property, and she also advised Griggs had been problematic at the jail.

Griggs had also allegedly written letters admitting his guilt, and he has taken responsibility. Quigley believes public safety is a factor to consider, as there were a substantial amount of drugs located. She believes the bond should remain the same.

Rohrer advised the court that he would disagree about safety being an issue.

“If we didn’t have people who were demanding drugs in the community, then there wouldn’t be a problem. It is a nonviolent crime,” Rohrer said.

Rohrer did agree with Quigley that this case warrants a mandatory prison sentence due to the amount of drugs found, but he would ask the court to lower the bond to $10,000 or allow his client to be granted a personal recognizance bond.

Judge Hein said he would like to hear a report from the probation staff in order to gain a sense of Grigg’s behavior. He advised there is strength in the evidence and without putting a witness on the stand, Judge Hein does not know how to interpret it. He agreed to keep the bail under advisement as data is to be collected.

Neil Fultz, 39, of Greenville entered a guilty plea to amended charges. Originally Fultz appeared on a four count indictment: count one was trafficking in methamphetamine, a felony of the third degree; count two aggravated possession of drugs, a felony of the second degree; count three aggravated possession of drugs, a felony of the third degree; and count four of possession of drugs, a felony of the fifth degree.

The charges were amended to an attempted aggravated trafficking of drugs, a felony of the third degree on count two, and counts three and four were dismissed. Fultz faces up to three years incarceration and up to a $10,000 fine with a minimum mandatory fine of $5,000 on each charge. By amending count two from a felony of the second degree to a felony of the third degree, it removed the minimum mandatory prison time.

Fultz is currently in a recovery program in Toledo, and will face sentencing on Jan. 20 upon his release.

To contact Daily Advocate Reporter Meladi Brewer, email [email protected].