Local man pleads guilty to making meth

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June 19, 2009

By HEATHER PYLES, CJ Staff Writer The Commonwealth Journal Fri Jun 19, 2009, 05:55 PM EDT

Somerset — A man who was arrested after authorities stumbled on several people in possession of items used to make methamphetamine during a separate investigation into an armed robbery was sentenced in court Thursday.

A search for a pair of armed robbery suspects led investigators to an alleged methamphetamine laboratory on June 9. While there, officers discovered and arrested France Helton, 27, of Burnside, and others who were in possession of products used to manufacture the illicit drug.

During Thursday’s proceedings before Pulaski Circuit Judge Jeffrey T. Burdette, Helton pleaded guilty to manufacture of methamphetamine by information.

Helton’s case skipped the grand jury process after he agreed to plead guilty to the charge, and Helton also waived his right to a presentence investigation, according to information provided by the Commonwealth’s Attorney’s Office.

Helton was arrested in the early hours of June 9 after the Pulaski County Sheriff’s Office received a report of an armed robbery involving a motorist on East Ky. 80.

As part of the search for suspects, a sheriff’s deputy checked out a storage facility at 34 Murphy Lane. At the facility, the deputy reportedly encountered Helton and four other individuals.

“The deputy immediately recognized some of the items in Helton’s possession as being used to manufacture methamphetamine,” stated a press release from the Commonwealth Attorney’s Office.

Helton was subsequently arrested and charged with manufacture of methamphetamine.

According to information provided by Assistant Commonwealth’s Attorney David L. Dalton during Thursday’s hearing, Helton possessed a variety of items used to manufacture methamphetamine, including coffee filters, freezer bags, gloves, plastic tubing, wire cutters, razor blades and loose baggies.

In addition, Helton also reportedly possessed approximately 788 pseudoephedrine pills (over 40 grams), lithium batteries, Prestone starting fluid, Rooto drain opener and salt.

Burdette sentenced Helton to 20 years in prison and Helton was immediately remanded into custody.

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Pulaski carries Girdler to win

In the weeks leading up to Tuesday’s primary election, it was impossible to miss the colorful signs dotting nearly every Pulaski roadway. The names in the race for the 15th State Senatorial District seat popped out: A.C. Donahue. Chris Girdler. Mark Polston.

Once citizens hit the ballots, however, the results mirrored the dimensions of the signs themselves: Chris Girdler stood the tallest.

Girdler, deputy district director for Congressman Harold “Hal” Rogers, ran away with the votes inside Pulaski County’s borders, earning 3,926 votes for 62.05 percent of the total number cast.

That number more than doubled the next highest vote-getter, businessman Mark Polston, who raked in 1,624 votes for 25.67 percent.

However, Polston — who owns Classic Carpet, a home-flooring business located just off the southern 914 bypass — can claim a moral victory ... three of them, in fact. In all three counties in the district other than Pulaski — those being Adair, Casey, and Russell Counties — Polston actually edged out Girdler.

In Adair, Polston beat Girdler 629 to 394. In Casey County, it was 538 to 417, and in Russell, it was 1,862 to 1,038.

Polston said he just “couldn’t pull it out with the numbers” and that “the machine worked for” Girdler in Pulaski County.

“I think that was their strategy — I think they had a Pulaski County strategy all along,” said Polston. “They played the political game well.”

Polston said the difference between his and Girdler’s campaigns was that “mine was a very, very grass roots campaign,” he said. “I did not have a political machine behind me. I understand how this process works, and in this instance, he prevailed.”

As for why Girdler didn’t take three of four counties, the winning candidate — since there are no Democrats in the race, winning the Republican primary was effectively a final victory for Girdler — said he didn’t have an answer for that.

However, “I believe things happen for a reason and I hope the long and strenuous campaign will only heighten my desire to move beyond the bitterness and partisanship of the recent past,” said Girdler.

“Regionalism is a goal of mine, and I look forward to helping all four counties,” he added, noting that he campaigned heavily in each of them.

Sen. Vernie McGaha, the long-time state senator whose seat the candidates were vying for, actually supported Polston after Liberty’s Todd Hoskins dropped out of the race earlier this month.

Donahue, a local attorney, got 556 votes in Pulaski County, 8.79 percent of the vote. He only received 145 votes in Russell County, 74 in Adair County, and 75 in Casey County, where hometown candidate Hoskins almost matched him with 71 votes despite no longer being officially in the race.

Polston said he’s “still digesting” what happened, and though “the process has been a very good experience for me,” he wouldn’t commit to running again in the future. “I wouldn’t shut the door to anything, but I’m not opening any doors either.”

Still, “I think I got a lot of people involved in the process that had not been involved before and would not have been otherwise,” he said. “A lot of people got out and worked really hard, got motivated to talk to friends and neighbors. I think a lot of people became involved through this campaign that are going to be involved for a long time.”

Girdler stressed his “positive message” and said that Rogers is a “mentor and good friend” that he would turn to for advice in dealing with a frequently combative legislative body in Frankfort, one for which Girdler hopes to help change the culture.

Girdler said that he was “confident and optimistic” during the day Tuesday because he’d “worked extremely hard.” Nevertheless, the realization that he’d won gave him “chill bumps,” he said.

“I’m absolutely honored,” said Girdler. “The position of state senator is more than an honor, more than an office. It’s a charge to keep, and I will give it my all.

“I pledge to be the people’s state senator,” he added. “I look forward to working with everyone to move this region forward.”

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