Mitchell man sentenced to 25 days in jail for drug violation

A 24-year-old Mitchell man who recently tested positive for methadone while on probation was ordered Tuesday to serve 25 days in jail.

Alan Voelker was arrested in May 2010 and later pleaded guilty to possession of a controlled substance and put on probation. He tested positive for methadone on March 28, and admitted in court to taking the drug the day before the test.

Once Voelker completes his jail time, he will be released from probation in order to pursue a job offer in Colorado. Voelker graduated from Mitchell Technical Institute in May.

Judge Sean O’Brien warned Voelker to control his drug abuse after he is taken off probation.

“That’s probably something you need to be aware of for the rest of your life,” O’Brien said. “It’s easy to slip back into bad habits.”