Richard Manus
(PCSD file photo)
By Patti Weaver
(Stillwater, Okla.) — A 61-year-old Stillwater man avoided a jury trial this week on a charge of trafficking methamphetamine by pleading guilty before Associate District Judge Michael Kulling, who sentenced him to 12 years in prison.
Due to his criminal record, Richard Allen Manus, who had two prior felony drug convictions, could have been given as much as a life prison term.
Manus, who had an outstanding Payne County warrant, was a front-seat passenger in a gold sedan that was stopped in the 4600 block of N. Washington Street at 12:43 am on Sept. 17, 2023, for traffic offenses, Stillwater Police Officer Ryan Sexton wrote in an affidavit.
“During a search incident to arrest of Richard (for his old warrant), a large wad of cash was located in his left front pants pocket,” that totaled $1,963, the officer wrote in his affidavit.
“As I went to search the waistband area, Richard started to lean forward blocking me from checking the front of his waistband,” three different times, which turned out to be a square-like object when patted, the officer wrote in his affidavit.
“Richard finally admitted that he had methamphetamine inside a cigarette box shoved down his pants,” in the pubic area where 30.4 grams of methamphetamine was found in a large zip top baggy and two smaller baggies, the affidavit said.
The woman driving the gold sedan in which Manus was riding was given a verbal warning for the traffic violations and released from the scene, the affidavit said.
According to court records, Manus had previously been convicted in Payne County of:
* possession of methamphetamine and assault and battery on a police officer in 2014 for which he was given in 2015 six months in jail followed by four and one-half years of probation;
* possession of marijuana with intent to distribute and carrying contraband into jail in 2012 for which he was originally given a deferred sentence that was changed in 2015 to a concurrent six months in jail followed by nine and one-half years of probation for the drug offense and a concurrent six-month jail term followed by four and one-half years of probation for contraband.
