Davis pleads guilty in Sunset Road meth case

By RICHARD JENKINS

[email protected]

Bessemer — John Raymond Davis, 41, pled guilty to two felony counts in Gogebic County Circuit Court Monday, in relation to a methamphetamine lab discovered March 30 in a Sunset Road apartment unit in Ironwood Township.

“On March 30, I was in the process of making methamphetamine when the cops showed up,” Davis testified during the court appearance.

In exchange to pleading guilty to charges of operating/maintaining a meth lab and conspiracy to operate/maintain a meth lab, the remaining three counts — as well as a habitual offender-fourth offense designation will be dropped. The dropped charges are: a second charge of operating/maintaining a meth lab and two counts of operating/maintaining a laboratory near a residence, a felony with a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison and/or $25,000 per charge.

Both felonies Davis pled guilty to carry a potential maximum sentence of 20 years in prison and/or a $25,000 fine. The conspiracy charge also carries the potential for an additional $10,000 fine.

The plea agreement also carries a sentencing recommendation that the sentences be served concurrently, rather than consecutively. According to information presented in court, this is partly because the prosecution would have to request that a consecutive sentence be imposed — something Gogebic County Prosecutor, Nick Jacobs said he didn’t plan to do.

The deal also includes that Davis testify against Sara Harris — who also lived in the E5193 Sunset Road apartment and is facing charges relating to the meth lab — and any others defendants charged in connection to the lab.

While establishing the facts necessary to accept the plea, Davis told Circuit Court Judge Michael Pope, he and Harris had been renting the Ironwood Township apartment since September 2015.

He testified he and Harris began using meth again in October when, upon returning to the apartment after working with a traveling carnival, they discovered another person living with them had begun making meth.

Davis said he began manufacturing, or “cooking,” meth in December after the roommate moved out of the apartment.

“He left like right around Christmas time — beginning of the new year — and shortly thereafter I figured I’d watched him enough times I would try it myself,” he told Pope.

He estimated he cooked meth “at least a dozen” times in the apartment between December and his arrest in March.

Regarding the conspiracy charge, Davis told the court Harris didn’t like him cooking meth in the apartment but tolerated it because she also was addicted to meth.

“She knew what I was doing. She didn’t agree with it. She didn’t like it. But she’s an addict too so she put up with it basically,” Davis said. “She did tell me on several occasions to stop, to not bring it in the house, but I (cooked anyway).”

He said she also assisted in acquiring the ingredients, specifically Sudafed, necessary to make meth.

Davis also testified he had warrants in California for violating his probation there.