Louisiana man sentenced to nearly five years in Mercer County drug case

A Louisiana man has been sentenced to nearly five years in prison following a Mercer County drug case involving approximately 60 grams of methamphetamine.

Forty-two-year-old Brandon Vede of Slaughter, Louisiana, was sentenced to 59 months in prison. The sentence is to be served consecutively, and Vede received credit for 98 days already served.

Vede pleaded guilty to two counts of aggravated possession of drugs, including one third-degree felony and one fifth-degree felony.

The case began July 9 when a Celina police officer stopped Vede’s pickup truck on Grand Lake Road near the railroad tracks because it did not have a visible license plate.

According to a sentencing memorandum filed by the Mercer County Prosecutor’s Office, an officer found methamphetamine inside a Dramamine container carried by Vede. A subsequent search reportedly uncovered additional methamphetamine in a glass jar, plastic bag, metal tin and other containers.

Two additional baggies containing methamphetamine reportedly fell from Vede’s clothing after he was taken to the Mercer County Jail.

Testing by the Ohio Bureau of Criminal Investigation determined that the substances included approximately 60 grams of methamphetamine and 4.43 grams of psilocin, the active substance associated with psychedelic mushrooms.

Prosecutors argued that several factors supported a substantial prison sentence. Those included the quantity of drugs, the number of containers in which they were found and the fact that Vede’s juvenile daughter was a passenger in the vehicle.

The sentencing memorandum also said Vede reported during the presentence investigation that he had purchased approximately two grams of methamphetamine while traveling. Prosecutors argued that account did not reflect the approximately 60 grams ultimately seized.

Although the memorandum acknowledged that Vede had a relatively limited criminal history, prosecutors said community control would not adequately punish him or reflect the seriousness of the offenses.

The third-degree felony carried a presumption of prison. Under the negotiated plea agreement, the two possession offenses were treated separately and did not merge for sentencing.

A passenger in the vehicle, Kendra Keesler, was also taken into custody during the July traffic stop on an outstanding Van Wert County warrant.