Because the defendants neither entered a not guilty plea or admitted to sufficient facts for a guilty finding, they will have no record of the charges if they successfully complete their probation periods.
Edmund L. BowenNORTHAMPTON – The drug case that started with a bang ended with a whimper Thursday as three of the four defendants in an alleged methamphetamine scheme got pre-trial probation without acknowledging any guilt.
Ryan Chunglo, 18, and Alexander Viands, 20, agreed to serve 18 months of pre-trial probation without entering a plea on charges of manufacturing a Class B substance and conspiracy to violate the controlled substance act.
Lauren Chunglo, 20, Ryan Chunglo’s sister, will serve a year of pre-trial probation on a charge of conspiracy to violate the controlled substance act. Because the defendants neither entered a not guilty plea or admitted to sufficient facts for a guilty finding, they will have no record of the charges if they successfully complete their probation periods.
Earlier this month, Edmund L. Bowen, 28, pleaded guilty to conspiracy to produce methamphetamine and was sentenced to 18 months in jail. Police had described Bowen as the driving force behind a meth lab at 227 Bridge St., where the Chunglos lived.
Last October, police and fire officials converged on the house, along with members of the federal Drug Enforcement Agency, after the owner of the building reported noxious fumes. The owner and a friend were cleaning the attic after the Chunglos moved out when her friend accidentally knocked over a bottle. Both women began gagging on the fumes from the bottle.
As police described the scenario, Bowen, a homeless man, manufactured the drug, teaching his skills to the Chunglos and Viands, Lauren Chunglo’s boyfriend. He also sent the others out to buy pseudoephedrine and other materials used to manufacture the drug and gave them meth for their personal use, according to a police report. All four defendants originally pleaded innocent to the charges.
Mark Tanner, a Northampton lawyer who represents Lauren Chunglo, called the agreement involving his client “a fair disposition.” An investigator hired by one of the defendants determined that no methamphetamine was found in the home. As conditions of their probation, all three must refrain from taking drugs and submit to random drug screenings.