Homeless Man Gets Jail Time for Drug Possession

A Fairbury man who pleaded guilty to a drug possession charge was sent to jail after he failed to complete a pre-sentencing report.Nathan D. Imes, age 44, appeared in Jefferson County Court on Wednesday, October 30, 2024. Linda Bauer was the presiding judge.Imes was originally charged with possession of methamphetamine, a class 4 felony punishable by up to two years in prison, nine to 12 months of post-release supervision and a $10,000 fine, as well as possession of drug paraphernalia, an infraction that carries a $100 fine.The defendant was arrested on May 21, 2024, after the executions of an arrest warrant at a Fairbury residence. In accordance with a plea agreement, Imes pleaded guilty to a reduced charge of attempted possession, which is a class 1 misdemeanor punishable by up to one year in jail and a $1,000 fine.Judge Bauer ordered Imes to contact the probation office to complete a PSI (Pre-Sentencing Investigation). Sentencing was scheduled for September 24. However, the PSI was not complete. Judge Bauer agreed to give Imes more time and continued the case until October 30.On that date, the PSI still was not complete, although the court indicated the probation office had made several attempts to contact the defendant. Without the completed PSI, the probation office could not make a recommendation as to sentencing.Imes' attorney, Gregory Kratz, advised the court that his client was homeless and, “Living on the streets.”Kratz noted his client had been incarcerated for 22 days and asked for time served.Judge Bauer said, “I don't think time served is appropriate.” “I wanted a different attorney,” Imes told the court. “There is a lot of stuff that doesn't make sense to me.”Judge Bauer told Imes, “I'm not sure you can place the blame on Mr. Kratz.”County Attorney Joseph Casson recommended jail time, “If he continues to abuse substances, we will have him again.” Judge Bauer sentenced Imes to 60 days in jail, with credit for 22 days time served.Imes ask for a deferred sentence to allow him time to gather his belongings and make arrangements for the time he will be in jail. He said, “All my stuff's in a tent.”The judge denied the request and remanded Imes to the custody of the Jefferson County Sheriff's Office to carry out the sentence.

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