Harrison County man pleads to four years in meth case

While jurors waited behind a closed door, Roger Keith Belgard Jr. entered a plea of no contest and was sentenced Wednesday to four years in the penitentiary.

Belgard, 39, was charged with possession of a controlled substance, less than 4 grams, which is a second degree felony, punishable by a sentence of between two and 20 years.

His mother, who was to testify against him, left the courtroom in tears as proceedings began.

In responding to pre-sentencing questions by 71st District Judge Bonnie Leggat Hagan, Belgard said he was not necessarily satisfied with his court-appointed attorney, Steve Smith, but added he had few options.

Smith noted District Attorney Joe Black intended to file a "manufacturing charge" if Belgard refused the plea agreement.

Before sentencing, Black entered information into the record that would have been the testimony of his witnesses.

He said Harrison County Sheriff's Office received a call about 11:30 p.m., Jan. 28, 2006, of "a chemical odor in the area of a camper trailer on 10 acres of land" on Birmingham Road.

Black said deputies watched the site for about 20 minutes, detected the smell, and saw the defendant. They approached him, found "a marijuana cigarette and a small amount of marijuana," and asked for permission to search the trailer.

Although Belgard refused, Black said his mother, the property owner, gave permission and also told deputies she had seen her son "in that location stirring something in a beaker."

Deputies found muriatic acid, iodine, and a beaker, the DA said, along with "sludge from 4.9 grams of methamphetamine."

The DA described the case as "a parent's worst nightmare." He said Belgard was homeless and his mother "was trying to help him by giving him place to stay.

"They knew he was on meth; they saw him cooking it. In fact, his mother admitted that, on two or three occasions, she had destroyed a meth lab at the trailer on their property.

"She had nowhere else to turn for help," Black said. "So on that night, when she saw him stirring in a beaker, she made the decision to contact an individual who would call the sheriff's office on her behalf."

Black said deputies "found substances that were the bones of a cook, or leftovers," from the manufacture of methamphetamine. They also found chemicals used to make a type of the drug known as red P., or red phosphorous.

Belgard's mother found herself in a situation similar to that of "a lot of parents who know their children are involved with meth," Black said. "You teach your kids to keep away from drugs. When you find out they are involved, what do you do?

"She took the only option she had. She consented to a search and had been subpoenaed to testify against her own child."

Belgard had "no criminal history, but we didn't want to recommend probation," Black said. "After meeting with the family, we recommended four years in the pen in the hopes he will get counseling there.

"He's still in denial," Black added. "He has a problem. We hope he'll get help or it will end up killing him."

Black said methamphetamine has become "the drug of choice" in Harrison County. "When I came to the office in 2003, crack (cocaine) was the major drug. Now, meth is involved in 75 percent of our cases, with the other 25 percent being cocaine and marijuana.

"It can be manufactured locally; it gives a greater high," and is also a far more dangerous drug, the DA said.

"Meth contains things that, if you swallowed them, they would kill you. Anhydrous ammonia is used in the process. Inhaling it can cause lung and brain damage.

"Add the fact that these chemicals are mixed over an open flame and you have an extremely dangerous situation."

The DA said Texas Department of Public Safety has trained "experts who tear down labs. If you take one down improperly and the chemicals combine, there will be an explosion," he added.