June 20, 2023
By: Dwayne Page
After being convicted more than two months ago for the sale and delivery of heroin and methamphetamine, 42-year-old Michael Chad Owens learned his fate Tuesday, June 20 in DeKalb County Criminal Court.
Judge Wesley Bray sentenced Owens to a total of 45 years as a range III offender including 30 years in one case and 15 years in the other to run consecutively. He must serve at least 45% of the term before becoming eligible for parole.
On Thursday, April 6, a jury of six men and six women found Owens guilty as charged in the four-count indictment including one count each of sale and delivery of heroin and one count each of sale and delivery of methamphetamine. The jury also fined Owens a total of $90,000 including $40,000 for sale of heroin, $15,000 for delivery of heroin, $20,000 for sale of methamphetamine, and $15,000 for delivery of heroin.
Owens was among several people indicted in June 2020 as a result of an undercover drug investigation conducted by the DeKalb County Sheriff’s Department.
“From the testimony at trial of Chief Deputy Brian Williams and Detective Stephen Barrett, they were contacted by a confidential informant which they have used in the past and she indicated to them that she had access to Owens and that he was selling heroin and methamphetamine. At that point they used that confidential informant to conduct a controlled purchase of heroin on June 21, 2019 and the methamphetamine on June 25, 2019,” said Evan Smith, Assistant District Attorney of the 13th Judicial District who prosecuted this case.
Although he has not had a long history of drug offenses, Owens is a convicted felon in at least five prior burglaries and one theft case, according to Smith.
Owens was represented at trial by attorney Mingy Ball. Owens is now incarcerated and expects to seek a motion for a new trial.