Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: WEDNESDAY, April 4, 1990 TAG: 9004040564
SECTION: VIRGINIA PAGE: B1 EDITION: NEW RIVER VALLEY
SOURCE: NEAL THOMPSON NEW RIVER VALLEY BUREAU
DATELINE: CHRISTIANSBURG LENGTH: Medium
One day, she decided to bring a sampling of things she found in her father's bedroom to school to show her teachers.
According to court records, they included a plastic bag of marijuana and a small blue funnel with cocaine residue.
That gave Blacksburg police enough evidence to get a search warrant for Strickler's Hemlock Drive home and arrest him March 15, 1989.
Tuesday, Montgomery County Circuit Judge Kenneth Devore sentenced Strickler, 39, to three years' probation and told him to perform 100 hours of community service.
Strickler was indicted in January and pleaded no contest last month to charges of possession of cocaine, possession of marijuana with intent to distribute and possession of psilocybin, a hallucinogenic mushroom.
Devore sentenced him Tuesday after reviewing a background report compiled by a probation officer.
Strickler, who owns a trucking company in Blacksburg, was divorced and had custody of his daughter. His former wife, who also lives in Blacksburg, got custody after his arrest.
Strickler previously had testified that it was a mistake to smoke marijuana in front of his daughter, but said he thinks his former wife told the girl to do what she did in an effort to regain custody.
The mother and daughter both attended Tuesday's hearing.
Strickler's attorney, Max Jenkins of Radford, said after Tuesday's hearing that Strickler now has visitation rights and frequently visits his daughter.
Assistant Commonwealth's Attorney Skip Schwab had urged Devore to put Strickler in jail. He said Strickler should at least be required to submit to random drug tests as part of his probation.
Jenkins said that because Strickler was not accused of selling any of the drugs found at his home, he should not have to go to jail.
Devore said Strickler had a good background and no previous convictions and need not serve any jail time. Strickler will, however, have to undergo occasional tests for drug use.
Blacksburg Detective G.R. Teaster had found about 60 pieces of evidence when he searched Strickler's home, according to court papers. That evidence included cocaine, marijuana, marijuana seeds and mushrooms stuffed in vials, baggies, film containers and aluminum foil. Teaster also found dozens of pieces of drug paraphernalia.
Jenkins had asked Devore to suppress all the evidence found in Strickler's home. He claimed the search was illegal because the warrant was defective because of a misplaced affidavit. That motion was denied.
by CNB