A man arrested on burglary and drug possession charges after being caught in a Newton home back in November has been given suspended prison terms totaling 20 years as part of a plea agreement. Jasper County Sheriff’s Department deputies arrested 28-year-old Austin Blake Shepherd on November 22nd when they responded to a burglary in progress call at a Highway F-48 West residence on the west edge of town. Court documents say Shepherd was found hiding in the laundry room, after allegedly gaining access to the home by breaking a basement window. Deputies also found a vehicle parked behind the house, which is how Shepard admitted he got there. In the car was a backpack, which police and court reports say contained zip-lock bags with a total of 111.1 grams of marijuana and 10.22 grams of methamphetamine. Numerous items of drug paraphernalia were also seized from the backpack, including a scale, numerous syringes, and Q-tips.

Shepherd pleaded guilty to class D felony charges of third-degree burglary and possession of marijuana with intent to deliver under 50 kilograms, and a class C felony charge of intent to manufacture or deliver methamphetamine under five grams. His sentence from District Court Judge Brad McCall consists of two  consecutive suspended five-year prison terms on the class D felonies, and a consecutive suspended ten- year sentence for the class C felony. Additionally, $3,050 in fines were also suspended, and Shepherd has to complete the Restoration House Program he’s currently in at Discovery Hope in Newton, and serve three years probation.