Schuyler men sentenced on drug charges

ROCHESTER—U.S. Attorney William J. Hochul Jr. announced John Anthony Barton, 33, of Dix, N.Y., was sentenced to 180 months in prison by U.S. District Judge Charles J. Siragusa, Sept. 24. Barton was convicted following a jury trial of conspiracy to manufacture 500 grams or more of methamphetamine, possession with intent to distribute 500 grams of more of methamphetamine, possession of marijuana with intent to distribute, using his residence to manufacture, distribute and use methamphetamine and marijuana, and possession of firearms in furtherance of drug trafficking crimes.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Jennifer Noto and Charles E. Moynihan, who handled the prosecution of the case, stated Barton was arrested May 18, 2011, after members of the New York State Police, Schuyler County Sheriff’s Office, Schuyler County District Attorney’s Office, Village of Watkins Glen Police Department and the Drug Enforcement Administration executed a search warrant at Barton’s residence on Roloson Hollow Road in Dix. During the search, law enforcement officers discovered an active methamphetamine laboratory, which was in the process of producing methamphetamine, in a shed on the property. In the shed, law enforcement officers also recovered a total of eight firearms, including a loaded .45 caliber handgun, more than 30 grams of methamphetamine, and more than $8,000 in cash. Officers also recovered approximately a pound of marijuana from the house located on the property. Testimony at the trial, which occurred in June of this year, also revealed Barton, together with others, manufactured methamphetamine and distributed as much as 900 grams between 2009 and May 18, 2011.
“Methamphetamine is a dangerous and addictive drug that even in small doses can cause permanent harm to those who use it,” said Hochul. “Besides causing lasting brain damage, this substance has been known to cause facial disfigurement and other serious physical maladies. Beyond what the drug does to the user, those who make methamphetamine create an environmental hazard for the entire community by the toxic substances used in the production process. This sentence is therefore completely appropriate given the entire facts of this case.”    
At the time of Barton’s arrest, two others—Shawn Rickard and Chad Speicher—were also arrested. Rickard pled guilty to narcotics conspiracy involving 500 grams or more of methamphetamine and possession of firearms in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime and was sentenced to eight years in prison Sept. 18. Speicher, 29, of Beaver Dams, pled guilty to narcotics conspiracy and was sentenced to 46 months in prison by U.S. District Judge Siragusa Sept. 25.
The sentencings are the culmination of an investigation on the part of the Schuyler County District Attorney’s Office, under the direction of District Attorney Joseph Fazzary; Special Agents of the Drug Enforcement Administration, under the direction of Timothy Kernan, Resident Agent in Charge, and Brian R. Crowell, Special Agent in Charge, New York State Police Community Narcotics Enforcement Team (CNET) under the direction of  Major Wayne C. Olson; the Schuyler County Sheriff’s Department, under the direction of Sheriff William Yessman, and the Watkins Glen Police Department, under the direction of Chief Thomas R. Struble.