FARMINGTON – A Carthage man was sentenced on a conspiracy charge Wednesday for his role in what police believe was a heroin distribution network that encompassed multiple members of one family.
Russell Smith, 52 of Carthage, pleaded guilty to criminal conspiracy, a Class C felony, and also agreed to a criminal forfeiture relating to the cash seized at his Carthage home, resulting in the state claiming $2,250. Two counts of trafficking were dismissed.
On July 30, 2015, police executed a search warrant at two residences in Carthage, including those of Smith and son Anthony Smith, 32. At Anthony Smith’s residence, police seized heroin, cash and paraphernalia associated with drug trafficking, including digital scales, needles and packaging. According to court documents, police also obtained cell phone text messages that referred to a heroin trafficking operation.
At Russell Smith’s residence, according to a summary of the state’s case read in court Wednesday by Assistant Attorney General David Fischer, police found a pill grinder and capsules associated by law enforcement with the drug trade. They discovered a small amount of heroin, less than half a gram.
Another member of the family, Jonathan Smith, Anthony Smith’s brother and Russell Smith’s son, was charged with trafficking through the Oxford County court system.
Russell Smith admitted to police that his sons would come to his house on Winter Hill Road as drugs were sometimes stored in the trunk of a Ford Mustang parked at his house. Some sales were conducted from his home, Russell Smith said, but more were conducted elsewhere. Smith told police that he was trying to get his sons to stop selling heroin.
It was the state’s theory that Russell Smith, himself addicted to heroin, was not as involved in the acquisition, packaging and sale of drugs as his sons, Fischer said.
“His role here is minimal compared to his sons,” Fischer said. He also described Russell Smith as “cooperative” with law enforcement.
Justice Robert Mullen said that Russell Smith’s lack of a criminal record supported the state’s theory of Smith’s lesser involvement, calling it “plausible” given the presented facts of the case. He accepted the arranged plea and sentence.
Russell Smith, per the plea arrangement, received a one-year sentence, entirely suspended, followed by nine months of probation. Fischer noted that one reason behind the relatively short probationary period was the fact that the case had been pending for two years, and that Smith had no issues while out on bail.
This is in contrast to Smith’s son, Anthony Smith, who pleaded guilty to violating the conditions of his release last year, relating to phone contact Smith had with his brother, Jonathan Smith. That was part of a larger, arranged plea made in November 2016, in which Anthony Smith also pleaded guilty to unlawful trafficking. He received a five year sentence, with all but one year suspended and two years of probation.
Anthony Smith also admitted to a criminal forfeiture relating to the cash seized at his house, resulting in the state claiming $1,940.
Jonathan Smith pleaded guilty to trafficking at the Oxford County Superior Court in South Paris in May and was sentenced to nine months in jail.
Justice you say. These guys have been dealing for years and are all driving new vehicles with an abundance of toys to play with. The two boys ended up with only 9 months even though they had priors for theft and forgery. This is ridiculous. Russell and wife knew full well what was going on at their residence.
You haven’t seen the last of these turkeys. They will be at it again and will end up having someone overdose thanks to their handy work.
” Fisher noted that one reason behind the relatively short probationary period was the fact that the case had been pending for two years, and that Smith had no issues while out on bail.” There has been a steady flow of traffic in and out of that residence ever since. What a joke.
Well done Justice Robert McMullin
Nice work, son. Keep ’em running!
since when does a plea deal involve pleading guilty to the lesser crime and the dropping of the more serious crime(s)? especially if they had all this evidence of trafficking?
Well, that’s our judicial system for ya
@ hold the phone….
Every plea bargain EVER.
It’s the way Al Capone was shut down. They tried to get him on what amounts to today as the RICO act. They couldn’t, so they opted for the lesser charge of tax evasion.