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Meth suspects plead not guilty

Posted January 22, 2015 10:00 pm

By Pete Spitler The Herald Tribune

CHESTER -- Three suspects facing methamphetamine-related charges had their preliminary hearing appearance in front of Judge Richard A. Brown at the Randolph County Courthouse on Thursday.

A plea of not guilty was entered for 40-year-old John G. Haslett, 19-year-old Michael A. Boyt Jr. and 21-year-old Jonathen E. "Jono" Haslett. The two Hasletts are father and son, both of Percy, while Boyt Jr. is from Sparta.

All three suspects are facing charges of alleged unlawful participation in meth manufacturing and the unlawful possession of meth manufacturing chemicals.

Boyt Jr. faces an additional charge of obstruction of justice related to alleged evidence destruction and a new charge of delivery of a substance containing methamphetamine was added Thursday.

Randolph County State's Attorney Jeremy Walker said the new charge is a Class 2 felony.

"If he pleads guilty, or is found guilty, the penalty is a minimum of three years (in prison) and a maximum of 14," he said. "The sentence is non-probationary."

Almost immediately after Brown announced the date of the next case management hearing - March 10 at 10 a.m. - John Haslett indicated he wanted to change his plea.

"I want to plead guilty," he said from his seat next to his attorney, Paul Ray.

Brown said he anticipated a March trial date for the suspects.

"We will be more than ready," said Walker, who said in a separate interview with the Herald Tribune later Thursday that the next available jury dates are the weeks of March 23 and March 30.

Boyt Jr. and John Haslett appeared together, while scheduling conflicts with Jonathen Haslett's attorney, Jordan Gremmels, resulted in him appearing later Thursday afternoon.

Boyt Jr. is being represented by public defender James Kelley. Judge Brown found probable cause for all three suspects.

During John Haslett and Boyt Jr.'s appearance, Det. Donnie Krull from the Randolph County Sheriff's Office testified on the investigation that occurred Jan. 12 and 13.

Krull said his agency received information from the Sparta Police Department on Jan. 12 about a confidential informant wanting to speak about methamphetamine.

That informant was later given money to purchase meth from Boyt Jr. at a mobile home in rural Percy.

"It was successful and after the purchase, the (confidential informant) was debriefed," Krull said. "The methamphetamine was turned over (to law enforcement), field tested and determined to be genuine."

According to Krull, at some point, John Haslett arrived at the trailer and "caught a guy by the name of Deeker cooking meth."

John Haslett later picked Boyt Jr. out of a police lineup.

Krull said a "consent search" was performed on the property. John Haslett was present, but Boyt Jr. was at his mother's residence near Sparta.

Krull said methamphetamine manufacturing chemicals were found in a trash bag located on the driveway about 20 yards from the house. Also included were receipts of purchase of the chemicals, one of which allegedly belonged to John Haslett.

John Haslett was interviewed by police and allegedly admitted his involvement in methamphetamine manufacture. According to Walker, Jono Haslett is the one who allegedly put the items in the trash bag.

Kelley asked Krull how it was determined who the receipts belonged to.

"We did a search of Walmart activity lists," Krull said. "I haven't pulled the video yet, but we've identified him on video purchasing methamphetamine manufacturing materials."

In rural Sparta, police discovered a fire in the backyard, which included remnants of lithium batteries and other alleged items of methamphetamine manufacture.

Krull testified that when police questioned Boyt Jr. about the fire, his response was "evidence, man."

Kelley asked Krull about John Haslett and Boyt Jr.'s state of mind when they waived their Miranda rights and if they could have been under the influence at the time.

Krull said it was "possible."

According to lawbrain.com, in the 2010 case Berghuis v. Thompson, the U.S. Supreme Court held that "a suspect who receives and understands Miranda warnings, and fails to invoke his Miranda rights, waives the right to remain silent when offering an uncoerced statement to the police."

Walker said the next step in the case is the state will turn the discovery of the materials over to the defense attorneys.

Agencies involved in the investigation include the Sparta Police Department, Randolph County Sheriff's Office, Steeleville Police Department, Coulterville Police Department and the Illinois State Police Methamphetamine Response Team.

Boyt Jr.'s father, 42-year-old Michael A. Boyt Sr., was indicted, along with Matthew S. Beers of Johnston City, on February 4, 2014 with conspiracy to manufacture methamphetamine according to a news release from the State's Attorney's Office of the Southern District of Illinois.

The offense reportedly occurred between 2012 and 2014 in Williamson, Perry, Jackson and Randolph counties.

Evidence at the plea hearings established that Beers and others were supplying pseudoephedrine pills to Boyt Sr. for use in the manufacture of methamphetamine.

On Oct. 22, the pair pled guilty to one count of conspiracy to manufacture methamphetamine, an offense that carries a penalty up to 20 years in a federal prison to be followed by three years of supervised release and a $100,000 fine.

Boyt Sr. is being held without bond pending a sentencing hearing on Feb. 11.

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