PINEDALE (WNE) — A man who was sentenced on felony drug charges in July allegedly violated his unsupervised probation earlier this month after he was caught for drugs. The man was arrested after he called dispatch to report he was hiding from snipers at the Sublette County Courthouse.

On Oct. 12 around 3 p.m., Deputy Todd Morgan was sent to Mill Street to talk to John E. Handy, where he was hiding in his truck, according to a charging affidavit. A “very paranoid” Handy said 100 people were trying to “sniper” him from a building across the street. 

Deputy Morgan assured Handy that he was safe, then moved his patrol vehicle closer so Handy would feel protected as he left his truck and got in with the deputy. Morgan first conducted a pat-down on Handy and found an uncapped used syringe with some clear liquid. Handy said it belonged to a diabetic friend, but a test found it presumptive positive for meth, according to the affidavit. 

Handy was arrested and charged with misdemeanor meth possession and probation violation. 

He had been charged in January with three felonies: two of delivering a controlled substance, one of felony conspiracy and one misdemeanor possession of a controlled substance. 

On July 15, Handy pleaded “no contest” to delivering a controlled substance, THC, and misdemeanor possession of THC. He was sentenced to five to seven years in prison, suspended in favor of a 30-day jail sentence and three years unsupervised probation.