A Zanesville man found in possession of Methamphetamine (Meth) and drug abuse instruments will be sent to prison following his plea of guilty Wednesday morning.

James Sellars Jr., 36 years-old, pleaded guilty to one felony and three misdemeanor charges relating to a traffic stop earlier this year.

According to Muskingum County Assistant Prosecuting Attorney Ron Welch, on March 14 police made a traffic stop of a black Cadillac.

During the stop, officers asked Sellars if they could search both his vehicle and his person, to which he agreed.

The search led officers to find both Methamphetamine (Meth) and syringes on Sellars.

According to Sellars, he had previously found the items along the street and picked them up to stop anyone else for accidentally stepping on them.

Sellars also had two minor children in the vehicle with him at the time of the stop, one born in 2008 and the other in 2009.

He was originally charged with the following four counts:

• 1 count of Possession of Drugs (Methamphetamine): a third-degree felony
• 1 count of Possession of Drug Abuse Instruments: a first-degree misdemeanor
• 2 counts of Endangering Children: a first-degree misdemeanor

As part of a plea agreement between his defense attorney, Kendra Kinney, and prosecutors, in exchange for his plea of guilty on all four charges, prosecutors would recommend Sellars serve 15 months in prison.

If during that time in prison, Sellars doesn’t get in trouble, prosecutors won’t challenge a request nine months into his sentence to be released early into the custody of the Franklin County Community Based Correctional Facility.

Welch added that Sellars has a previous misdemeanor conviction of possession of drug abuse instruments from September of 2018.

Judge Kelly Cottrill ordered a presentence investigation (PSI) to be conducted before sentencing Sellars.

He could face up to 36 months in prison and a fine of up to $10,000.

Sellars has been held in the Muskingum County Jail since Monday, July 27.