GALLIPOLIS — Two Patriot-area men have been sentenced to prison — one found guilty by jury and the other on plea agreements in five criminal cases.

William Shane Sowards, 42, 1626 Woodside Road, was sentenced to the Ohio Department of Rehabilitation and Corrections for eight years by the Gallia County Common Pleas court after a seven-woman, five-man jury found him guilty of possession of drugs.

Sowards was also fined $7,500, received a five year suspended operator’s license and ordered to pay all court costs.

According to the Gallia County Prosecutor’s Office, Sowards was found guilty following a two-day trial for possession of more than 51 pounds of marijuana, which has a street value of $115,000, according to law enforcement officials.

On April 12, the Gallia County grand jury issued an indictment against Sowards for possession of marijuana, possession of 1.222 grams of cocaine and having weapons under disability.

The jury found Sowards guilty of one count of possession and not guilty on the second count of possession and the weapons charge.

The indictment resulted from a search of Sowards’ property on Jan. 24 by the Gallipolis Municipal Court probation department after Sowards was found to be in possession of marijuana and driving with a suspended license during a traffic stop by the State Highway Patrol.

Another man also faces 53 months in jail after pleading guilty in five criminal cases last month.

Shawn E. Carson, 25, 1832 Claylick Road, pled guilty to possession of drugs, two charges of breaking and entering and three charges of receiving stolen property.

A sixth case against Carson was dismissed.

Carson was sentenced to 11 months for possession of drugs to be served concurrently with three of the five cases; six months on each breaking and entering charge to be served consecutively with the other cases; 18 months for the reduced plea of receiving stolen property and 12 months each to run concurrently for the other two counts of receiving stolen property.