A Waverly woman has been sentenced to serve 49 months in prison as a result of her conviction in June for aiding and abetting the manufacture of a controlled substance.
Lisa A. Riddle, 42, was charged on May 8, after an investigation by the Coffey County Sheriff’s office, according to information from Coffey County Attorney Doug Witteman.
Riddle was sentenced Wednesday by District Judge Phillip M. Fromme.
Riddle’s four co-defendants all have been convicted for their involvement. Randy Nichols and James Brannan II will be sentenced on Sept. 19. James Riddle will be sentenced Sept. 20 and Teresa Crane will be sentenced on Oct. 10. Witteman plans to seek prison sentences for each one.
Witteman said that cases against Riddle and four co-defendants were the first meth manufacturing cases filed in the county since August 2002. In that case, Peggy and Jessie Kelley were arrested while manufacturing meth east of Waverly. They were convicted and sentenced to prison.
“As many will recall, we had a rash of meth lab cases beginning in 1998 and essentially ending in 2002,” Witteman said. “In Coffey County, we worked hard to establish a reputation that this was not a good place to make meth, because you went to prison when you got caught.”
Witteman gave credit to sheriff’s investigators and state legislators for reducing meth-lab cases in Coffey County. Legislators amended laws, making it more difficult to obtain a key ingredient in meth production.
“We are now focusing our efforts in reducing its importation into our communities,” Witteman said.