Muskingum County man receives minimum sentence for serious drug trafficking

COLUMBUS, Ohio (WSYX) — A Frazeysburg man was convicted of trafficking more than two pounds of methamphetamine and other drugs.

Skyler Worline, 29, appeared in Muskingum District Court on August 19 for sentencing. The judge sentenced Worling to the minimum sentence of 11 years in prison. He faced a maximum sentence of 38.5 years. The state argued for a 20-year sentence.

“Our office argued that twenty years in prison was the minimum sentence for these three separate crimes,” said John Litle, assistant Muskingum County prosecutor. “It is difficult to understand and even more difficult to explain to our law enforcement partners and community members how an individual who was caught with the maximum classified amount of several different drugs on three separate occasions in three different counties could be sentenced to a single minimum sentence.”

On July 10, Worline pleaded guilty to three counts of aggravated trafficking in methamphetamine. All charges were first-degree felonies.

On April 29, Frazeysburg police stopped Worline for speeding. During the stop, an officer noticed a can of butane, which is commonly used in the manufacture of meth.

Officers searched the car and a canine unit indicated that drugs were inside. They found pipes, packaged syringes and needles. Worline then admitted to officers that there was nearly a pound of methamphetamine in the car.

When searching the car, the officer found about 1.2 kilograms of methamphetamine, 119 grams of cocaine, 27 grams of crack and 18 grams of unknown pills.

Worline was arrested and told authorities in jail that he planned to drive to Columbus to sell the drugs.

Muskingum County investigators, led by the Central Ohio Drug Enforcement Task Force from Licking County, quickly linked Worline's case to investigations in Dublin and New Albany, where he had been caught with similar amounts of drugs. The Franklin County investigation revealed a single pattern of corrupt activity, and Muskingum County agreed to take over the entire prosecution.