Lima man sentenced to 28 years in prison for involvement in drug ring

Aug. 20—LIMA — A Lima man was sentenced Tuesday to 28 years in prison in Allen County Magistrate Court after pleading guilty to eight counts related to possession, trafficking and manufacturing of fentanyl.

Eric Upthegrove Jr., 41, was charged with 57 counts, including possession and trafficking of fentanyl, heroin and marijuana, as well as unlawful manufacturing of drugs. In April, Chief Assistant District Attorney Kyle Thines filed a motion to dismiss 30 of those counts.

Upthegrove pleaded guilty to three counts of trafficking in a fentanyl-related compound, two counts of possession of a fentanyl-related compound, unlawful manufacturing of drugs, engaging in a pattern of corrupt activity and possessing weapons while incapacitated. Three of the counts were third-degree felonies and the others were first-degree felonies. The first count of trafficking still included the specifications of seizure of major drugs, firearms and money and the manufacturing count included two specifications of seizure of property.

As part of the plea deal, Upthegrove agreed not to seek judicial release, so he will serve his full 28-year sentence, consisting of 14 mandatory years and 14 non-mandatory years.

The case has been ongoing since 2021 and has faced numerous delays, including when Upthegrove removed his ankle monitor and fled the state while on bail before a final pretrial hearing. Upthegrove has also had multiple attorneys who have further delayed the case.

Two other defendants were found to be involved in drug trafficking: Ronald Hesseling II, sentenced to a minimum of 54 years in prison, and Nicoya Darby.

Court documents state that more than 100 grams of fentanyl were found after a search warrant at 765 Broadway Avenue in September 2021, and during sentencing, it was said that pill-pressing tools were found in the basement.

Contact Charlotte Caldwell at 567-242-0451.