Somerset —
A Pulaski County man was sentenced to 30 years in prison last week stemming from his alleged behavior while awaiting sentencing for two drug-related convictions.
Jared Godin, 34, of Burnside, who appeared in Pulaski Circuit Court on Thursday for a sentencing hearing, had originally pleaded guilty to two counts of manufacture of methamphet-amine, according to Pulaski County Commonwealth’s Attorney Eddy F. Montgomery.
The case reaches back to November 26, 2011, when Godin was allegedly discovered by authorities “cooking methamphet-amine in a deserted trailer in Poplar Estates,” according to Assistant
Commonwealth’s Attorney David L. Dalton.
Godin would later be arrested a second time on drug charges, this time in March 2012 by the Burnside Police Department, along with Constable Mike Wallace. The arrest happened after Wallace, serving an eviction notice, allegedly discovered a strong, chemical odor and smoke at the residence Godin shared with his wife while serving an eviction notice to the couple.
Wallace had said that he told the suspects to come out onto the porch, but Godin “pushed his wife back in the house and locked the door,” said Wallace. “He kept telling her to get in the bedroom and shut her damn mouth, and a few other words as well.”
Wallace said that Jared Godin kept looking out the kitchen window, and “had meth liquid in a jar ... which he poured down the sink and went to wash the jar out.”
Authorities soon forcibly entered the home, where ingredients used in meth production, including Coleman fuel, ammonium nitrate, drain cleaner, tubing, a bottle of acid, and three used needles, were allegedly found.
Two children were also found at the home.
Godin was indicted on both manufacturing methamphetamine charges by a Pulaski County grand jury and he pleaded guilty to both charges in July.
Dalton stated that Godin accepted a 30-year prison sentence probated for five years, which means he would avoid jail time if he did not violate any terms of his court order. If any of those terms were to be violated, he would be sentenced to the full 30 years in prison.
Dalton stated that the Pulaski County Sheriff’s Department arrested Godin at a local church on Sept. 16 “on suspicion of domestic assault and other, alcohol related charges.”
During Thursday’s proceedings Dalton said evidence showed that Godin had assaulted his wife prior to his September arrest at the church.
“Godin’s wife testified that Godin became intoxicated on beer and struck her in the face,” Dalton stated in a press release. Witness statements suggested that Godin threatened to assault his wife again if she “kept running her mouth,” according to Dalton.
The Somerset Police Department also opened an investigation into an alleged attempted bribery of a witness by Godin while he was in jail awaiting final sentencing.
Detective Larry Patterson, with the SPD, testified Thursday that while Godin was in jail, he arranged for his sister to contact his wife and to persuade her to either testify that he didn’t hit her or to not appear in court, according to Dalton.
“Evidence was introduced which suggested that Godin had offered to give the marital residence to his wife and to fix the residence up in consideration for her staying away from court,” Dalton stated in the press release.
Pulaski Circuit Judge David Tapp heard the evidence presented during Thursday’s hearing and “ ... determined that Godin had struck his wife, consumed alcohol, and had committed acts which could constitute bribery,” according to Dalton.
Tapp found Godin to be in violation of his original plea deal and handed down the 30-year prison sentence.
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