Man pleads guilty to delivering heroin

Posted 7/28/15

At a Wednesday appearance in Park County’s District Court, Christopher J. Nichols pleaded guilty to a felony count of delivering heroin.

Nichols, 31, admitted to giving the drug to a neighbor in early December 2013. That neighbor, 30-year-old …

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Man pleads guilty to delivering heroin

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Prosecutors plan to seek prison time for a former Powell resident who provided heroin to a man who later died of a drug overdose.

At a Wednesday appearance in Park County’s District Court, Christopher J. Nichols pleaded guilty to a felony count of delivering heroin.

Nichols, 31, admitted to giving the drug to a neighbor in early December 2013. That neighbor, 30-year-old Jeremy W. Ernest, later died of an apparent overdose, court records say, with opiates (which are consistent with heroin) and other drugs reportedly found in his system.

Nichols’ guilty plea came as part of a deal with the Park County Attorney’s Office.

In exchange, prosecutors have agreed to ask for no more than 5-8 years of prison time for the offense (which carries a maximum penalty 20 years).

Nichols and his attorneys are free to argue for whatever sentence they believe is appropriate.

Ultimately, it will be up to Fifth Judicial District Court Judge Steven Cranfill to determine the proper punishment.

Also as part of the plea deal, the county attorney’s office agreed to drop a misdemeanor charge of criminally negligent homicide — which alleged Nichols caused Ernest’s death — and a felony charge alleging Nichols possessed more than .3 grams of anabolic steroids. The steroids had been found in Nichols’ apartment, court records say.

Nichols was scheduled to also be sentenced on Wednesday, but Judge Cranfill wanted an updated report on Nichols’ background and the crime from state probation and parole personnel before proceeding. A state staffer compiled a pre-sentence report back in May 2014, but the case has been delayed multiple times since then.

Nichols remains free on a $15,000 cash bond while awaiting sentencing. He’s been out on bond since mid-January 2014.

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