Mount Vernon man gets prison for meth charge

A Mount Vernon man was sentenced Tuesday to two years in prison for possession of methamphetamine.

Joshua Johnson, 25, pleaded guilty to the charge on Jan. 8 after he was arrested Nov. 27 after law enforcement conducted a search of his residence, located in a basement at 104 S. Earl St., during which two pipes and a scale were found. One of the pipes tested positive for methamphetamine, court documents say.

Johnson, who is originally from Colorado, said he was only in South Dakota for two months before he was arrested.

“I would just like to get back to Colorado and seek some type of substance abuse treatment and get on with my life,” he said in court.

Johnson also admitted Tuesday he used illegal prescription drugs while in custody at the Davison County Jail, and claimed he got them from another inmate.

Prosecutors agreed not to press additional charges against Johnson, but raised their recommendation on the meth charge from three years in prison to five years.

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