ZANESVILLE, Ohio (AVC News) — A Zanesville man has been sentenced to five years in prison after being convicted of possessing methamphetamine.
Joseph Angelo was found guilty by a Muskingum County jury of possession of methamphetamine, a second-degree felony, and illegal use or possession of drug paraphernalia. Jurors also ruled in favor of the state on a forfeiture specification.
The case began when Zanesville police were called to a local business for a report of a man passed out in a truck at a gas pump. Officers said Angelo had been unconscious for more than an hour. A Muskingum County Sheriff’s Office K9 alerted to narcotics in the truck, where officers found a digital scale and a clear plastic bag containing a white powdery or crystal substance. Laboratory testing confirmed the substance was methamphetamine.
Angelo represented himself at trial and offered several explanations for the substance, including that it was a health supplement. He later said he believed it was methamphetamine until he tried it and did not experience a high. He also claimed he had a prescription for methamphetamine. The jury deliberated for less than 30 minutes before finding him guilty. Prosecutors requested the maximum eight-year sentence, but the court sentenced Angelo to five years in prison.
