By Sharyn L. Decker
Lewis County Sirens news reporter
CHEHALIS – A 77-year-old Centralia man who was kicked out of his retirement home and jailed for sprinkling methamphetamine in his coffee pleaded guilty today.
Nelson R. Berquist was arrested in December, after police were called to Cooks Hill Manor and told Berquist had offered a portion of his stash to someone there.
Nelson R. Berquist in December 2015
He told arriving officers he had more in his room, and they confiscated a small baggie from a wicker basket.
Lewis County Deputy Prosecutor Paul Masiello this morning told a judge that in the interest of justice, he was recommending Berquist be sentenced to 11 days and given credit for time served.
Masiello and defense attorney David Arcuri struck a deal in which Berquist pleaded guilty to possession only and the charge of delivery of a controlled substance was dismissed.
Masiello told the judge he felt like the one charge held the defendant accountable.
“The mandatory minimum penalty would have required prison,” he said.
Arcuri called it a bizarre situation and told the judge he couldn’t overstate his appreciation to prosecutors.
“It suit the jail and it suits other factions as well,” Arcuri said.
Lewis County Superior Court Judge James Lawler went along with the agreed recommendation and also ordered 12 months of community custody through the state Department of Corrections.
Berquist, who has been out of custody and staying at a motel with assistance from family, was asked if he wanted to make a statement on his own behalf. He was accompanied to the courthouse by a caregiver.
“No, except I’m sorry,” he replied.
Outside the courtroom, Masiello said obviously Berquist had some pretty serious physical conditions, and he was not comfortable sending someone like Berquist to prison.
“This also reflects the reality of the case,” Masiello said. “He was just offering to give it away, not sell it.”
•••
For background, read “Court grapples with release of senior citizen inmate with nowhere to go” from Wednesday December 9, 2015, here
Tags: By Sharyn L. Decker, news reporter
Rest In Peace.
All the drugs you need to get addicted with are legal. The ones that are illegal are the ones that compete with the legal ones because the legal ones are artificially high because of greedy assholes.
Want to fix the drug problem in America? Take the profits out of medicine, education before medication, and deal with addicts using doctors and other healthcare professionals rather than the courts and prisons. It would save taxes, it would reduce the number of bankruptcies overnight by 50% or more, and it would open up prison space for people who deserve to be there, like drug company reps and Feelgood Doctors.
I suppose we could just turn a blind eye to everyone regardless of age when they get caught. I mean an old man spends money and gives it to someone who is cooking in someone’s neighborhood and may cause an explosion tomorrow. But who am I to judge? And all the needles in the Walmart parking lot and so on. I suppose if we just legalize everything they will go away, right? get real. Legalizing addition doesn’t make it go away. Too many people are lying and making money from it and that is the real truth.
I suppose u all never made a mistake in ur life right. People become addicts at all ages . I believe the courts did their job.
Lewis – you have no idea what you are talking about. He lived at an assisted living facility that had people with dementia and most people his generation have no real idea what meth is. He could have been slipping it in other peoples coffee for all anyone knows just to get a laugh. What if he had given your grandmother meth and she freaked out and jumped out a window or had a heart attack or stroke because of it? Would that still be okay with you? The person he gave it to did not want it. Who knows how many others he tried to give it to before that person just took it and turned it into the cops. And the “delivery” charge would have stuck cause he admitted giving it to that person. BTW, facilities like where he lived do not prescribe the meds they are on, their primary care doctor does.
Just goes to show ya the Drug War is a Failure and will always be… They wanna get high and they wanna get high right now, the thing too do it.. 20 dollar Bag. The Government is the Criminal not the old timer.
UAM Why would he feel the need to apologize to the court he owes no apology to anyone. Acuri should apologize for pretending that was some sort of a great deal the delivery wouldn’t have held up in a million years. The courts owe the gentleman an apology for ruining his morning routine of meth in his coffee and whatever old fart is still telling on people at that ripe age is pathetic. I could bet that whatever god awful cocktail of psych meds they are making him take are far worse than a little morning pick me up from his speed. I’m just surprised the imposters from jnet didn’t boot the door down and value the meth at. $50,000. and then confiscate all the tv’s in the place. An opportunity missed.
Prison. Yeah right. Tweekers in and out week after week. It’s your nickel, watch it work.