St. Regis man sentenced on drug dealing charges
Ronald Dean Sammons receives his sentence on Wednesday morning.
Nick Ianniello
Mineral Independent
A St. Regis man pled guilty to charges of criminal distribution of dangerous drugs in Mineral County District Court at the Mineral County Courthouse in Superior Wednesday morning in front of Judge Robert L. Deschamps as part of a plea bargain.
Ronald Dean Sammons received a five year suspended sentence for selling drugs to an undercover police informant in February 2007.
According to an affidavit filed by Mineral County Attorney Shaun Donovan, Mineral County Deputy Sheriff Sgt. Bill Pandis met a person only identified as confidential informant #941 who agreed to cooperate with law enforcement on drug investigations in St. Regis.
Pandis arranged for confidential informant #941 to make controlled buys from individuals suspected of distributing dangerous drugs in the area.
Confidential informant #941 made controlled buys from Sammons on Feb. 8 and Feb. 26, 2007. On both occasions the informant was searched, equipped with an electronic recording device and given buy money.
Officers watched as confidential informant #941 entered Sammons’s residence and when the informant exited he was searched. Officers found that the buy money was gone and the informant was in the possession of dangerous drugs.
On the first buy the informant purchased 10 tablets of methadone for $40 and on the second buy he purchased 10 tablets of hydrocodone for $60.
The drugs were initially identified by their pharmaceutical markings and the identification was confirmed by drug enforcement agents with the Montana Division of Criminal Investigation.
Sammons, who has had both financial and medical problems, suffered a limp as he stepped up to face the judge Wednesday. He has made prior court appearances in a wheelchair and mentioned Wednesday that his leg may have to be amputated.
Deschamps decided to agree with the plea agreement reached between Sammons and the Mineral County Attorney’s office, even though he is not bound by the agreement.
“I don’t see how this defendant’s going to be able to pay any sort of fine,” Deschamps said.
Donovan agreed and said that he thought the sentence was appropriate to Sammons’s crime and his ability to serve or pay any restitution.
“I think this is a reasonable resolution to this case and even though he has many misdemeanors this is Mr. Sammons’s first felony,” Donovan said.
If Sammons is convicted of another crime, he may face penalties including jail time for his guilty conviction in this crime, although he will not be serving any jail time immediately.
Deschamps reminded Sammons that he had best be on his best behavior after this conviction.
“I understand how you get yourself into these predicaments but you just can’t do this kind of stuff again,” Deschamps said.