By Sharyn L. Decker
Lewis County Sirens news reporter
CHEHALIS – The man charged with having pounds of methamphetamine, cocaine and heroin when he was captured following a high-speed chase in Chehalis a year ago pleaded guilty today in a compromise deal because the main witness against him is Robbie Russell.
Robert John Maddaus Jr.
Robert John Maddaus Jr., 41, was in Lewis County Superior Court this afternoon with his attorney Ken Johnson.
Senior Deputy Prosecutor Brad Meagher told the judge he reduced the charges to possession of each of three drugs.
“The intent element here, I was going to use Robbie Russell for that, and that just isn’t going to happen,” Meagher said.
After the two men were apprehended by Lewis County sheriff’s deputies in November 2009, detectives found in the car a backpack containing two and a half pounds of methamphetamine, nearly a half pound of cocaine and almost one-third pound of heroin, according to charging documents.
Maddaus – who is a Rochester resident, according to court documents – was initially charged with possession of each of the three drugs with intent to deliver, as well as unlawful possession of a firearm.
Robert Shawn Russell
The red Corvette belonged to Russell and it was Russell who was driving, according to Johnson. An argument could have been made at trial the drugs belonged to Russell, Johnson said.
Russell had been contacted by law enforcement and made arrangements to turn Maddaus over to them, Johnson said.
The attorney called the circumstances of that night “very peculiar”. Despite Russell’s agreement, he sped away when deputies tried to pull him over, he said.
“Back then, Russell was working with us,” Meagher said after today’s court hearing. But after that, he committed a bunch of crimes, he said.
Earlier this month, Russell was sent to prison with a six-year sentence.
“It’s not like we can count on Robbie Russell coming back and cooperating, things have changed,” Meagher said.
Judge James Lawler sentenced Maddaus today to one year and a day for each of the three counts. They will be served concurrently.
Lawler then signed an order transporting Maddaus back to Thurston County, where he is set for trial next week for first-degree murder in the case of a man found handcuffed and shot to death on an Olympia street in November of last year.
Tags: By Sharyn L. Decker, news reporter
You once again have blogged a story before the Daily O, who didn’t post this info online until this afternoon. I’ve made it a habit to check your site first, before the local papers, and I want to thank you for being my number one source for all local newsworthy info.