Former Pocatello firefighter gets probation for possession of cocaine
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POCATELLO — A man who pleaded guilty to possession of a controlled substance has been sentenced to probation.
Loyd Russell Sleight, 31, entered a guilty plea after reaching a plea agreement with the Bannock County Prosecutor’s Office, court records show. As part of the agreement, misdemeanor charges for possessing drug paraphernalia, driving under the influence and carrying a concealed weapon while under the influence were dismissed.
At a May hearing, District Judge Javier Gabiola ordered Sleight to serve two years probation with a 120-day discretionary jail sentence and complete 100 hours of community service.
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Sleight was arrested in August following a traffic stop near the intersection of North 19th Avenue and East Clark Street. While patrolling the area, a Pocatello police officer stopped a vehicle driven by Sleight for driving the wrong way down a one-way street.
Police reports described Sleight as “extremely sweaty, slurring his words, smelled of alcohol” in police reports.
Officers asked Sleight if he would voluntarily provide a blood sample for testing. To which he replied, “I plead the fifth,” officers say in reports.
Following Sleight’s arrest, officers seized and searched his car. During the search, they found cocaine, drug paraphernalia and a Glock 19X.
At the time of his arrest, Sleight was a First Class Firefighter with the city of Pocatello, hired in Oct. 2017. His city employment ended on Oct. 2.
In addition to probation and community service, Gabiola ordered Sleight to pay $1,578 in fees and fines.