Lynn man found guilty at trial
By Staff
Jason Houston FCT Managing Editor
A Lynn man was convicted of drug charges Tuesday in Franklin County Circuit Court, Franklin County District Attorney Joey Rushing said.
Rushing said the jury deliberated around 35 minutes before finding Matthew Grant Brand, 28, of Lynn, guilty on three charges: Second-degree manufacturing of a controlled substance, second-degree possession of marijuana, and unlawful possession of drug paraphernalia.
Rushing said the trial centered on Brand possessing precursors used to manufacture methamphetamine. Brand was indicted in 2004 on the charges, based on a traffic stop that took place in 2002.
Rushing said Brand consented to a search of his vehicle, and the materials were in plain sight in the rear seat of his car.
Brand testified in his own defense that he bought the materials for a friend, who was a co-defendant in the case, Rushing said.
Lt. Scotty Lowery of the Russellville Police Department was the main witness in the case for the prosecution.
Brand will be sentenced at a hearing to be held at a later date. He faces up to 20 years on the manufacturing charge, which is a Class B felony.
In an unrelated case, Assistant District Attorney Doug Evans said Larazo Morales, 28, of Russellville, was convicted in a Wednesday trial of second-degree escape, a Class C felony.
Evans said Morales was stopped last July on U.S. 43 for erratic driving. He failed a field sobriety test and was taken to the Franklin County Jail. After being booked in, Evans said the evidence showed Morales asked to go the bathroom, after which he walked out the front door of the jail and fled on foot.
Morales' attorney, Neil Taylor, Jr., said in the trial that Morales thought he was free to go and walked out because the front gate was open.
Morales was away from the jail about three hours before deputies spotted him and returned him to custody.
The escape charge is a Class C felony, punishable by 1-10 years in prison. Morales will be sentenced at a hearing to be held next month, Evans said.
