[1]Sebastian Haller waits as his lawyer shuffles through documents after his sentencing in Lewis County Superior Court.
By Sharyn L. Decker
Lewis County Sirens news reporter
CHEHALIS – A drug case from last spring in which Centralia police arrested two brothers and their mother at their home on the 1000 block of Yakima Street is over.
Prosecutors dropped charges against 59-year-old Kathy Challender.
Arthur T. Haller-Heilman, 32, took a deal and got 20 months, and should be getting out around September.
Sebastian Haller, 36, went to trial and lost.
He was sentenced yesterday to 16 years in prison.
Defense attorney Sam Groberg appealed to the judge for less time.
“He’s looking at a minimum of seven years, which is a real long time,” Groberg said. “Even though he does have a history, he’s still a relatively young man.”
Lewis County Prosecutor Paul Masiello noted Haller had an offender score of 19 – from previous convictions – meaning he was subject to a longer term.
“I’m sure the court recalls Mr. Haller picked up these charges while waiting for the last case,” Masiello said.
A jury in Lewis County Superior Court two weeks ago found Haller guilty of two counts of delivery of heroin, one count of possession with intent to deliver heroin, possession of methamphetamine, possession of methadone, possession of oxycodone and three counts of witness tampering.
Centralia police raided the home the morning of May 8, finding only small amounts of narcotics. Centralia’s then Anti-Crime Team Sgt. Jim Shannon said their primary suspect was in the bathroom flushing the toilet.
The action was part of an undertaking that began two months earlier targeting street-level and mid-level heroin suppliers because of the increase in the number of heroin and opiate related deaths over the previous year in Lewis and southern Thurston counties, according to police.
The city reviewed the Yakima Street case to determine if the property might be subject to seizure and forfeiture as a drug nuisance, according to Shannon.
Masiello and Groberg said yesterday that Haller’s grandparents owned the house, and they understood the couple was cooperating with the city in a deal to sell the property and share the proceeds with the city.
Haller expressed his surprise when Judge Lawler handed down the sentence.
“For getting high?” he blurted out. “You’re talking about 16 years for getting high?”
Lawler said no, it was more than that, and repeated the numerous offenses the jury found him guilty of.
The two lawyers disagreed about how the so-called school zone enhancement should apply. Groberg said he understood two mandatory years consecutive to the rest of the sentence.
Masiello said even though the issue is being questioned on appeals, his office felt the law provided for applying three of the enhancements, separately, meaning an extra six years.
Lawler sided with Masiello.
The judge imposed numerous legal financial obligations, and ordered Haller to pay them at a rate of $25 each month.
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For background, read “Drug officer: Another raid, but battling heroin deaths will take more than police” from Friday May 9, 2014, here [2]