David Rich -- #05099-097

35 Years -- Methamphetamine Conspiracy

I am a first-time, nonviolent offender. I will not say I am not guilty, for I am. I was making methamphetamine. I was arrested by a county task force after someone told them about the lab. The federal government turned down my case twice, but on the 3rd try the FDA took my case to the grand jury and the Feds took my case.

I was in a hurry to have the good things of the world - a home and car. I know there are no easy answers to it all, but if not for the money involved in the drug trade, people wouldn't get involved.

I know there are no easy answers, but the answer surely can't be locking people up for half of their lives to teach them lessons.

I do know that I watch good people turn bad as the years go by. A shorter time in pirson, and they would have been contributing to the real world and now they may never have that chance. Anger builds up in people instead.

If the state would have prosecuted me, at most I would have received 8 years, served 4 and been paroled.

I gave the government no information and the prosecution asked for a life sentence. They were furious when I only received 35 years.

In 1996 I was able to have the gun charge dropped and that took five years off my sentence. With God's help I'm still enjoying my lie and no matter what I've done, and they've done to me.

Keep up the faith, keep praying and God bless.