Muskingum County Man Gets Minimum Sentence For Major Drug Conspiracy

COLUMBUS, Ohio (WSYX) — A Frazeysburg man has been convicted of trafficking more than two pounds of methamphetamine and other drugs.

Skyler Worline, 29, appeared in Muskingum County Court on Aug. 19 for sentencing. The judge sentenced Worline to the minimum possible sentence of 11 years in prison. He faced a possible sentence of up to 38 1/2 years. The state argued for a 20-year sentence.

“Our office argued that 20 years in prison was the appropriate minimum sentence for these three separate crimes,” said Muskingum County Assistant District Attorney John Litle. “It is difficult to understand, and even more difficult to explain to our law enforcement partners and community members, how an individual arrested with the maximum classified amount of multiple different drugs, on three separate occasions, in three different counties, could end up with a single minimum sentence.”

On July 10, Worline pleaded guilty to three counts of aggravated trafficking in methamphetamine. All counts were punishable as first-degree felonies.

On April 29, Frazeysburg police stopped Worline for speeding. During the stop, an officer noticed a can of butane, a chemical commonly used in the production of methamphetamine.

Officers searched the car and a canine unit indicated there was drugs. They found pipes, packaged syringes and needles. Worline later admitted to officers there was nearly a kilogram of methamphetamine in the car.

After searching the car, the officer found approximately 2.6 pounds of methamphetamine, 119 grams of cocaine, 27 grams of crack cocaine and 18 grams of unknown pills.

Worline was arrested and while in jail told authorities he planned to travel to Columbus to sell drugs.

Muskingum County investigators, led by the Central Ohio Drug Enforcement Task Force in Licking County, quickly linked Worline's case to investigations in Dublin and New Albany, where he had been arrested with similar amounts of drugs. The Franklin County investigations were grouped together into a single pattern of corrupt activity, and Muskingum County agreed to take over the prosecution.