Rooks County Attorney Danielle Muir
In early 2019, the Rooks County Sheriff’s Department began an in-depth narcotics investigation into the distribution of methamphetamine in Rooks County. This investigation resulted in the following criminal sentences, as prosecuted by Rooks County Attorney Danielle Muir.
John R. Bennett, Woodston, was sentenced on Sept. 11 for the crime of unlawful distribution of methamphetamine in an amount of at least one gram but less than 3.5 grams. Bennett was sentenced to 56 months in the Kansas Department of Corrections and will be required to register as an offender for 15 years after the date of parole, discharge or release, whichever is most recent.
Francis R. Everett, Woodston, was sentenced on Sept. 24 for the crime of unlawful distribution of methamphetamine in an amount of at least 1 gram but less than 3.5 grams. Everett was sentenced to 56 months in the Kansas Department of Corrections and will be required to register as an offender for 15 years after the date of parole, discharge or release, whichever date is most recent.
David L. Seales, Woodston, was sentenced on Nov. 6 for the crime of unlawful distribution of methamphetamine in an amount less than one gram. Seales was sentenced to an underlying prison term of 34 months and placed on 24 months probation to be supervised by Northwest Kansas Community Corrections. Seales is required to register as an offender for 15 years.
On the same date, Seales was sentenced on a second case for the crime of possession of methamphetamine. Seales was sentenced on this case to an underlying prison term of 24 months and placed on 12 months probation to be supervised by Northwest Kansas Community Corrections. The sentence and probation, in this case, are to run consecutive to the first case.
This resulted in a combined sentence of an underlying prison term of 58 months and placement on 36 months probation to be supervised by Northwest Kansas Community Corrections.
Dustin J. Higdon, Plainville, was sentenced on March 4 for the crime of unlawful distribution of methamphetamine in an amount of at least 1 gram but less than 3.5 grams. Higdon was sentenced to 68 months in the Kansas Department of Corrections and will be required to register as an offender for 15 years after the date of parole, discharge or release, whichever date is most recent.
On the same date, Higdon was sentenced on a second case for the crime of unlawful distribution of methamphetamine in an amount of at least 1 gram but less than 3.5 grams. Higdon was sentenced to 68 months in the Kansas Department of Corrections and will be required to register as an offender for 15 years after the date of parole, discharge or release, whichever date is most recent. Sentence and post-release supervision are to run concurrently with the first case.
Ethan J. Morgan, Stockton, was sentenced on April 9 for the crime of unlawful distribution of methamphetamine in an amount less than 1 gram. Morgan was sentenced to 40 months in the Kansas Department of Corrections and will be required to register as an offender for 15 years after the date of parole, discharge or release, whichever date is most recent.
Additionally, John Karl Swaney, Stockton, was sentenced on July 3 for distribution of marijuana. Swaney was sentenced to 49 months in the Kansas Department of Corrections.
Muir commended the Rooks County Sheriff’s Department for their dedicated work.
"Thank you for your continued professional commitment to your ongoing investigations to assist in curbing the sales of illegal drugs within Rooks County," she said in a news release via social media.