A Bellefontaine man was sentenced Thursday, March 5, in Logan County Common Pleas Court to more than a dozen years in prison on multiple felony drug convictions.
Judge Kevin P. Braig sentenced Chase Whiting, 34, to an indefinite prison term of 13 to 16½ years after he pleaded guilty to three drug-related felony offenses.
Pursuant to a plea agreement, Whiting admitted to possession of cocaine, a felony of the first degree; illegal manufacture of drugs, a felony of the second degree; and engaging in a pattern of corrupt activity, a felony of the first degree.
Under Ohio law, the court was required to impose mandatory prison terms for all three offenses. The engaging in a pattern of corrupt activity conviction also carried a mandatory minimum prison term of 11 years.
Logan County Assistant Prosecutor Nathan Yohey and defense attorney Luke Milligan jointly recommended the sentence, which Judge Braig adopted.
The charges stem from a months-long narcotics investigation conducted in 2025 by the Bellefontaine Police Department in cooperation with the Logan County Sheriff’s Office.
During the evening of June 27, 2025, law enforcement executed multiple drug-related search warrants at residences in Bellefontaine. Whiting was among several individuals arrested during the operation.
Authorities reported Whiting attempted to flee on foot when officers arrived but was quickly apprehended by a Bellefontaine Police K-9 Pyro. He was transported to Mary Rutan Hospital for treatment of injuries related to the dog bite before being lodged in the Logan County Jail.
Probation violation sentence
In a separate case, Judge Braig also sentenced Megan M. Gross to 172 days in the Logan County Jail after finding she violated the terms of her probation.
Gross had been placed on community control following a conviction for aggravated possession of drugs, a felony of the fifth degree. Court records indicate the violation stemmed from her failure to successfully complete programming through the Logan County Adult Recovery Court.
