Steamboat Today: Hayden man gets 12 years for making meth

Archive for Friday, September 23, 2011

Friday, September 23, 2011

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Arapahoe County Sheriff's Office

Jamison Fjoser

Steamboat Springs — A Hayden man pleaded guilty to manufacturing methamphetamine and was sentenced to 12 years in the Colorado Department of Corrections on Friday.

“For whatever reason you were doing this, what you were doing was a cancer in our community,” District Court Judge Shelley Hill said to Jamison Fjoser, 37.

The Routt County District Attorney’s Office had filed 12 drug-related charges against Fjoser, who was arrested about a month after members of the All Crimes Enforcement Team raided a home he rented on Jefferson Avenue in Hayden on Jan. 29.

The guilty plea was part of a plea deal offered by Rusty Prindle, Routt County’s Chief Deputy District Attorney. Prindle said he had a strong case and he was prepared to go to trail. He consulted with probation supervisors when crafting the deal that he thought was appropriate.

“Meth is a dangerous addictive drug, and it ruins people’s lives,” Prindle said after the hearing. “People who introduce this dangerous drug in our community must be dealt with harshly.”

Fjoser pleaded guilty to manufacturing a controlled substance, a Class 2 felony, and maintaining property for unlawful manufacturing of a controlled substance, a Class 1 misdemeanor. The other 10 charges were dismissed. Fjoser was sentenced immediately after entering his guilty pleas. Hill sentenced Fjoser to 12 years for the felony and 30 days for the misdemeanor, five years of mandatory parole, and ordered him to pay a $4,500 drug surcharge.

“This is destructive to any community, and you did it,” Hill said during the sentencing.

Fjoser chose to have his attorney speak for him.

“This is truly a situation where Mr. Fjoser had an addiction, and he was fueling that addiction by making this drug that he could take,” Englewood attorney Vince Buckmelter said. “I do think that if he could stay off the drugs, he has a bright future.”

Prindle commended the work done by ACET on the case, which involved obtaining a search warrant and collecting evidence.

“Our communities are better and safer places to live because of the work that they do,” Prindle said.

Fjoser was not home when ACET conducted the raid. Police thought he was planning on fleeing to Mexico, but the U.S. Marshals Service found him March 10 in Arapahoe County.

Prindle said he considered Fjoser’s criminal history when deciding on a plea offer.

In October 2006, Fjoser pleaded guilty to possession of chemicals with the intent to manufacture methamphetamine. He was sentenced to four years at the Correctional Alternative Placement Services program in Craig. He successfully completed that sentence.

Fjoser also was convicted of a drug crime in 2006 in Arapahoe County.

— To reach Matt Stensland, call 970-871-4247 or email mstensland@SteamboatToday.com

Sep (Brian Kotowski) says...

I did a TDY in a major metro not too long ago. The tweakers are a scary bunch. I'm glad Fjoser's in custody. Kudos to law enforcment.

September 24, 2011 at 7:22 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )

1999 (anonymous) says...

I don't understand why people choose to do this drug even once.

September 24, 2011 at 8:05 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )

CONative (anonymous) says...

Me either, 1999.

September 24, 2011 at 8:52 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )

highwaystar (rhys jones) says...

It's a poor man's cocaine, with all of the hyper and none of the pleasure. I tried it once, back in my druggie days, recognized it for what it was, and dropped it like a hot potato.

Still... 12 YEARS... they hand out time like it's lunch around here.

I took P.J. O'Rourke's advice: Do all the drugs you can while you're young, because when you get old, your body won't be able to take it and all you'll be able to do is drink.

September 24, 2011 at 9:20 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )

Sep (Brian Kotowski) says...

Faces of meth: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OGQxha...

WARNING: It gets uncomfortably graphic at about 1:55

September 24, 2011 at 9:33 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )

highwaystar (rhys jones) says...

Okay, I will grant you that meth is a serious drug, as bad as it's "cracked" up to be.

Still, as I read this article, looking for evidence of anti-social behavior justifying a 12-year sentence, I just don't see it. No assaults, burglaries, thefts, even intent to sell; this guy was just feeding his own habit.

Isn't there a more creative solution? In-patient detox, a 30-day program at least? Then daily UA's; I'll bet he was sneaking buzzes at CAPS. His lawyer says he has a future, if he can shake this addiction (what lawyers are paid to say) and we hear nothing of this guy's side -- where he was working, what he has done in the past other than drugs.

So we just shelve another one, get them out of society, momentarily at least, having now decided their life is wasted, and contributing further to that waste? This guy never hurt a soul, that I can see, other than himself. Now he'll run with a hard crowd, to learn better how to get by with it, and other various skills of the trade. I don't think the justice system is doing ANYBODY any favors here.

September 24, 2011 at 10:23 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )

1999 (anonymous) says...

so we're paying for him to be taken care of for 12 years.

here's another idea.

give this guy 5 year probation and during that time he works for various agencys. (weather public or private.)...to work off his one million community service hours.

he does not have a drivers lisence.
he has an alchohol bracelet
he is drug tested weekly.
he starts contributing to sociey.

good behavoir gets him off in 5 years.

would this be better than incarceration?

September 24, 2011 at 10:55 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )

Sep (Brian Kotowski) says...

1999:

The supervision required to do what you suggest sounds like an awfully expensive proposition. It may be worth considering, but I'd like to see some hard numbers delineating the costs of your proposal v. incarceration. Fjoser is hardly a choirboy. He's already squandered the opportunity CAPS provided him to get straight. At this point, warehousing him may simply be the most cost effective band aid available.

September 24, 2011 at 11:17 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )

Scott_Wedel (Scott Wedel) says...

Well, the big issue here is not that he was an user, but also a maker that had been jailed before for making whom took no time between completing one sentence to start making again. For someone that just served 4 years to go back to using and making, there really is no excuse and a pretty strong indication he'll do it again when released again.

12 years seems tough, but the expected alternative of investigating and prosecuting him when he is out is no better. Would be nice if there was a way for him to show he was cured of addiction and if he was released then he would stay clean, but that is not possible.

September 24, 2011 at 11:18 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )

DrGreenGenes (JJ Southard) says...

It's medicinal meth? Come on.

September 24, 2011 at 8:12 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )

sedgemo (anonymous) says...

Making meth in a rental house IS a danger to that entire neighborhood in the form of the very high probability of explosion, not to mention the toxic wastes left behind should he move to another property... sometimes houses cannot even be detoxed but must be torn down. It's not like baking cookies!

September 25, 2011 at 8:54 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )

OnTheBusGus (anonymous) says...

sedgemo is correct, a meth lab can ruin property if not cleaned properly not to mention the fact that the remaining chemicals can endanger the health of future occupants. One state (IL I believe) was considering passing a bill of a life sentence for a meth lab. Read more here: http://methlabhomes.com/

September 25, 2011 at 11:35 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )

highwaystar (rhys jones) says...

I still maintain that I don't see any anti-social behaviors displayed here, other than the perpetual need to be wired. Maybe this points to a chemical imbalance in the brain, compelling this constant need. Maybe this is one of those rare cases where drugs can actually do some good. I am not normally one to advocate government intervention a la Clockwork Orange, but maybe if Mr. Fjoser agreed to the treatment, he could avoid the Big House and still lead a productive life. Otherwise we have done nothing to fix the problem, just made it worse. At our expense. Then again, when he repeats... why not fix it now, admittedly at some expense, hoping to avoid more down the line, and hoping to recoup some, in the way of taxes? Of all the druggies in prison, meth heads are probably the biggest threat, but this guy was just out for his own buzz, not selling it, and if we can help him, I think we should try.

September 25, 2011 at 8:32 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )

sedgemo (anonymous) says...

Hway, I appreciate your good heart but think you need to investigate more about what Meth does to people's brains, physically. Years ago I attended a session held by multiple police and fire depts. which included slides from labs they had busted, along with various horrible death scenes which I won't describe here. Of note though was evidence they provided that meth addiction is fundamentally more difficult to treat. They were all in agreement a person could not be considered free of addiction until after 10 yrs. of absolute drug-free lockdown. My information is dated now, but it seems Mr. Fjoser apparently already served 4 yrs. and has two prior arrests which made little positive impact on his decision making.

My contention is that this behavior IS antisocial, in that it is highly dangerous to anyone nearby, visiting, or later living in any place meth was cooked. Some of the slides I saw showed the "death bag" tucked in under one couple's own baby's crib!

Another example was first hand, an investigator opened a black trash bag to look for evidence, accidentally inhaled some of the fumes from the cooking detritus, and went immediately to the hospital, where he stayed for many months before being able to return to work. His coworker was one of the presenters, and said he was never the same post-exposure.

Maybe a way to think of this is to imagine someone mixing up radioactive chemicals in the basement next door, making their own personal bombs. No harm to anyone, right? Unless they forget about the pilot light on the hot water heater... release some fumes through an imperfect duct-tape wrap and the whole house goes up, releasing toxins everywhere. Or the landlord goes down there to check the fuses... opens a door, lets in more oxygen, boom.

Or unless the cook moves out and someone else moves in, using the same kitchen.

This stuff is deadly dangerous on many many levels, and to more than just the cook.

September 25, 2011 at 10:36 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )

Scott_Wedel (Scott Wedel) says...

He just spent 4 years on previous charges. He knew exactly he needed to do to avoid jail and to become a productive citizen. Not only did he start using again, he crossed a far more serious line and started making meth again.

And, while the DA did not charge with dealing, it is certainly likely he was dealing at least on a small scale to cover his costs. Hardly makes sense to go through the trouble and risk of making without selling any at all.

So anyway, this is not really about a meth user being sentenced for 12 years, but a two time meth lab maker getting 12 years.

September 26, 2011 at 12:40 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )

Sep (Brian Kotowski) says...

Mr. Fjoser spent 4 years as a CAPS enrollee. From their website:

The goal of CAPS is to provide an alternative to incarceration within a highly structured environment.
CAPS provides individual and group counseling, substance abuse treatment, educational services, and vocational training.
CAPS programs promote individual accountability, responsibility, positive self-development, and assists residents to prepare for and adjust to independent community living.
CAPS life skills training includes employment assistance and budgeting and savings courses.

The system has already provided Mr. Fjoser with many of the alternatives suggested by other parties to this discussion. Instead of embracing the opportunities given to him, he chose to work the system and remain a criminal. I have no sympathy for him.

September 26, 2011 at 4:28 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )

highwaystar (rhys jones) says...

Okay, I'll relent, and it's more than just being outvoted; I could actually be wrong. Treasure this admission; you won't hear it often. But I saw plenty of those folks, in my occasional visits to the pokey, those who thrive in that controlled environment. Released, they yearn to return. It represents a healthier lifestyle than they see on the outside, at any rate. Once in custody, in a matter of days, they're clean and straight, spinning yarns for the boys, tales of jails, mostly, or the unfortunate sequence of events which landed them there, innocent as a newborn babe. Three hots and a cot. Could be worse. Yep, y'all be right this time; there's too many of us scrambling for not enough morsels already. He made his choice; Judge Hill just affirmed it.

I just hate to see another life, wasted.

September 26, 2011 at 8:38 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )