A Birnamwood man accused of trafficking in bath salts was ordered Friday to serve three years in prison for multiple drug offenses in a case that was the first of its kind in Shawano County.
Jessie L. Bierman, 30, pleaded guilty in May to felony counts of manufacture and delivery of amphetamine, maintaining a drug trafficking place, possession of amphetamine, distributing a hazardous substance, and manufacture and delivery of marijuana.
“This was one of the first bath salt cases we’ve dealt with in this area,” Shawano-Menominee County District Attorney Greg Parker said at Bierman’s sentencing hearing Friday. “This is what put bath salts on the radar here in Shawano County.”
Bath salts is the street name for designer drugs that contain synthetic chemicals similar to amphetamines and cocaine, and can cause violent or hallucinogenic reactions.
Federal law passed in 2012 made it illegal to possess, use or distribute many of the chemicals used to make bath salts, but some companies still sell bath salts over the Internet as “research chemicals,” with a disclaimer that they are not to be ingested.
Authorities were alerted in May of last year that a package from a Texas company known for selling bath salts through the mail had arrived at Bierman’s post office box.
Authorities obtained a search warrant for the package and found two baggies containing 12 grams of a cream-colored powder. The powder was sent to the state crime lab and tested positive for illegal chemicals, according to the criminal complaint.
Bierman was arrested when he picked up the package at his post office box.
A search warrant executed at Bierman’s residence also found marijuana and drug paraphernalia.
Bierman told authorities that he allowed visitors to use his drugs but never took money for them.
However, Parker told the court on Friday that whether Bierman was paid for his drugs didn’t matter.
“He was a supplier,” Parker said.
Parker said an aggravating factor in Bierman’s crimes was that Bierman’s 8-year-old son lived at the home and saw the drug activity.
“He was running this drug house, and all the while, he had this child present,” Parker said.
Defense counsel John Rhode argued that Bierman suffered from post-traumatic stress disorder as a result of his service in Iraq.
“This is a combat hero; someone to be looked up at and someone with a horrible drug addiction,” Rhode said.
Rhode argued for a long term of probation that would allow Bierman to get treatment.
In a statement to the court, Bierman apologized and said he took responsibility for what he had done.
He choked up several times as he told the court he wanted to get back on track and be a good parent.
Judge James Habeck said he was taking several points in Bierman’s favor into consideration, including his military service and the fact that he sought treatment after his arrest.
However, Habeck said Bierman put not only his child at risk, but also others whom Bierman allowed to use his drugs.
Habeck also said that, given Bierman’s limited disability income, it was unlikely that he wasn’t getting money for the drugs.
Habeck said it also appeared that Bierman might have been exchanging drugs for sex, prompting Habeck to add a condition to Bierman’s extended supervision that he is not to engage in unmarried sex.
Bierman was ordered to serve three years extended supervision after his prison sentence.
In a related felony bail jumping case Friday, Bierman was also ordered to serve one year in prison and one year extended supervision. However, he was given credit for the 289 days he has already spent in custody.