By NEAL WAGNER / Managing Editor

COLUMBIANA – A 23-year-old Sterrett man will spend the next few years on probation and must complete a substance abuse treatment program after he pleaded guilty in February to distributing LSD in Alabaster.

Shelby County District Court Judge Daniel Crowson originally sentenced David Allen Watkins, who lists an address on Manor Drive in Sterrett, to 72 months in the Alabama Department of Corrections, but suspended the sentence to two years of supervised probation. Crowson also ordered Watkins to complete and pay for a substance abuse treatment program and pay a $750 bond fee.

If Watkins violates the conditions of his probation, his entire 72-month prison sentence could be reinstated.

The Shelby County Drug Enforcement Task Force arrested Watkins on March 13, 2016, and charged him with two felony counts of trafficking LSD. His charges were reduced from trafficking LSD, which is a Class A felony, to distribution of a controlled substance, which is a Class B felony, through a plea agreement with prosecutors.

According to his arrest warrants, Watkins distributed 5 grams of LSD in Alabaster on June 18, 2015, and distributed 6 grams of LSD on July 28.

Drug Task Force Commander Lt. Clay Hammac previously said the arrest came after a lengthy investigation, and said Watkins allegedly was distributing LSD-laced Sweet Tart candy pieces.

“Through a long-term investigation, he was identified as a potential trafficking source for LSD in western Shelby County,” Hammac said. “We worked with a number of intelligence sources, and through various undercover operations, we were able to make the arrest.”

Hammac said the amount of LSD confiscated from Watkins was a “significant amount,” which led to the felony trafficking charges.