By NEAL WAGNER / Managing Editor

COLUMBIANA – A 19-year-old Pelham man will spend the next two years on probation after he pleaded guilty on Aug. 31 to distributing marijuana and prescription medication in Alabaster earlier this year.

Austin Nicholas Kummerlowe, who lists an address on Huntley Apartment Drive in Pelham, pleaded guilty to a pair of felony drug distribution charges during an Aug. 31 hearing in front of Shelby County Circuit Judge Daniel Crowson.

The Shelby County Drug Enforcement Task Force arrested Kummerlowe on May 11 and charged him with two felony counts of unlawful distribution of a controlled substance, one felony count of second-degree assault, one felony count of unlawful possession of a controlled substance and misdemeanor counts of second-degree unlawful possession of marijuana, resisting arrest and possession of drug paraphernalia.

All but the two unlawful distribution of a controlled substance charges against Kummerlowe were dropped through a plea agreement with prosecutors.

As a result of his guilty pleas, Kummerlowe was sentenced to a total of two years on supervised probation, and he must complete a substance abuse treatment program.

According to the Shelby County District Attorney’s Office, Kummerlowe allegedly became combative with Task Force officers who were arresting him in Alabaster on May 11.

The officer was attempting to arrest the suspect on multiple past drug charges when Kummerlowe “forcibly resisted law enforcement officers’ efforts to take him into custody,” and repeatedly struck one of the officers by “intentionally kneeing him in the groin.”