Miller Pleads Guilty to Possession of Controlled Substance; Drug Induced Homicide Charge Still Pending

Altamont resident Jay Miller has pleaded guilty to a count of possession of controlled substance and has been sentenced to five years in prison.

The 22-year-old Miller still faces two other counts, including drug induced homicide for allegedly delivering heroin to a Jessica James, who later died.

Miller's plea Wednesday resulted in a five-year sentence due to earlier convictions in area counties for various offenses.

Miller will remain in Effingham County Jail until the other counts go to trial or are otherwise decided.  Both Public Defender Scott Schmidt and Assistant State's Attorney Ralph Fowler said after Wednesday's hearing that those cases would move ahead as scheduled.

Fowler also said that if guilty pleas are reached in either or both of the pending cases, they wouldn't seek a consecutive sentence.  That means another sentence in the other cases would run at the same time as the sentence imposed in this case.

The case decided Wednesday showed that Miller was being sought on a warrant and when authorities found him, he was found to possess a quantity of heroin.