Man pleads no contest in plan to sell heroin from Reese apartment

CARO — A Vassar man could be sentenced to up to 30 years in prison after he pleaded no contest Monday to possession and conspiracy to deliver an estimated $50,000 worth of heroin out of a Reese apartment last Thanksgiving.

Caleb Hills, 29, Vassar, pleaded no contest to conspiracy and possession with intent to deliver 499-999 grams of heroin, or roughly a pound, with an estimated street value of up to $50,000.

Hills had faced up to life in prison in connection with a third charge – delivery of a controlled substance causing death – but that charge was dropped as part of his plea deal with Tuscola County prosecutors.

Mark Reene, prosecutor, Tuscola County, said a “primary factor” in entering into a plea agreement with Hills was the fact that sentencing guidelines for the dropped charge related to death and the charges Hills pleaded to related to the amount of drugs involved were very similar.

“We’re going to be requesting sentences of 15 to 30 years on each count,” Reene told The Advertiser, adding that the sentences would be concurrent.

“We’ll certainly be able to present an adequate argument to obtain those sentences.” (Read more)

(This story originally appeared in the Aug. 17, 2016 print edition of The Tuscola County Advertiser and can be read in its entirety here).