A federal judge has sentenced a Dublin man who attempted to make methamphetamine for personal use to 30 months in prison.
Jesse Dennis, 32, appeared at the US District Court in Concord on Monday morning for a sentencing hearing regarding two federal charges — attempt to manufacture methamphetamine and possession of materials to manufacture methamphetamine — stemming from a Jan. 13, 2016 arrest in Keene when he was driving around with the tools to make meth in the “one pot” method.
“I wasn’t arrested. I was rescued,” said Dennis, when addressing the court Monday. “My life at that point was very dark and hopeless.”
After hearing arguments from both sides, Judge Landya B. McCafferty sentenced Dennis to 30 months in prison with three years of supervised release to follow. She also recommended that Dennis be placed near his family in California after his time served, per the request of Dennis and his attorney, Federal Public Defender Jeffrey S. Levin.
In a sentencing memorandum filed June 8, Levin requested the Dennis only be sentenced to 16-months time served, which is well below the advisory sentencing guidelines of 57-71 months.
Levin said in the memorandum that Dennis was only making methamphetamine for personal use and that he never successfully produced it, adding that Dennis has been working hard to overcome his drug addiction and recently completed the Therapeutic Community Program at the Strafford County House of Corrections, substance abuse treatment program in the jail.
In an objection to Dennis’ motion for a variance, Assistant US Attorney Georgiana L. Konesky requested a 57-month sentence, arguing that Dennis placed himself and his community at risk by trying to produce methamphetamine. Konesky also pointed to Dennis’ previous drug and criminal histories, saying that a longer prison sentence is needed so that Dennis’ conduct does not escalate further.
Dennis’ substance abuse began when he was 11 with alcohol, according to court documents, with Dennis experimenting with cocaine, LSD, marijuana, Ecstasy, methamphetamine, prescription opiates, and heroin. Court documents say that Dennis stopped using heroin when he became scared that he would die from using it, and returned to using meth shortly before he was arrested.
Dennis has a “significant” criminal history, according to Levin’s memorandum, but he has no violent or drug trafficking offenses on his record. His most serious offenses involve a series of burglaries committed “to support his drug habit” in 2012, according to the document.
Included with Levin’s memorandum were letters from Dennis’ mother, Suzan Dennis, and his sister, Sierra Nicolai, both whom live in California. Both offered their support to Dennis, saying that they have been in contact with a probation officer in California who has agreed to help the family find sober living and support systems for Dennis.
“I can tell from speaking with him that he is in a different place,” said Nicolai, in her letter, dated June 3. “He has finally hit his ‘rock bottom’ and has done the work to battle his addiction by not only completing the treatment program but has remained on as a mentor to others.”
The Concord Monitor’s Alyssa Dandrea contributed to this article.