By Lori EhdeTwo more suspects among the six arrested around Thanksgiving last year were sentenced in Rock County District Court.Luverne’s Tony Tyler Tate, 35, was sentenced Monday to 4 1/2 years in prison after pleading guilty on April 24 to second-degree controlled substance crime.His conviction stems from his role in selling a total of 13.6 grams of meth on four separate dates in October. Those transactions were caught on videotape by undercover officers.Tate was one of four others arrested just before Thanksgiving when a two-month investigation involving the Bureau of Criminal Apprehension wrapped up.According to the sentence order filed Monday, Tate must also make restitution in the amount of $1,200, pay a $50 fine and submit a DNA sample for testing.He is currently in custody at the St. Cloud State Penitentiary.Also sentenced in connection with those arrests is Luverne’s Dustin James Kruger, 19. He appeared in Rock County District Court on May 5 for a combined plea and sentence hearing.He was convicted of fourth-degree aiding and abetting a controlled substance crime for driving Gregory Stratton to and from what he knew to be a drug deal.Judge Timothy Connell ordered Kruger to serve 180 days in jail, with credit given for the time he’s served since his arrest.Kruger had at one time posted bail, but reportedly violated the terms of his release by using drugs, and was sent back to jail. He is currently in custody of the Nobles County Jail, Worthington.Kruger was also ordered to pay a fine of $2,038 and was placed on probation for seven years. His sentence order stipulates that he must complete outpatient chemical dependency treatment, submit a DNA sample and abstain from drugs and alcohol .Prosecuting Attorney Terry Vajgrt said some might argue Kruger’s sentence was too severe, considering his lesser role in the drug sales, but he said the punishment fits the crime. "It’s intended to be stiff," Vajgrt said. "One of the goals there was to deter others from getting involved in the sale of that drug."He said Kruger’s role was fairly minor in driving the car, but he had knowledge of the sale. "People need to know you cannot be involved in any way with the sale of a controlled substance," Vajgrt said.Tate and Kruger were arrested last November along with 18-year-old Gregory Stratton, 40-year-old Gregory Lynn Wade, 48-year-old Oliver Crawford and 18-year-old Noi Chitmany.Wade was sentenced April 28 to more than five years in prison after pleading guilty to two counts of second-degree controlled substance crime.Stratton was sentenced April 15 to serve nearly five years in prison after he was convicted for second-degree controlled substance crime.Chitmany, who was 17 when she was arrested, was sentenced April 7 through the "extended juvenile jurisdiction." If she completes her juvenile sentence and doesn’t violate any probation orders, she will have satisfied the conditions of her sentence. If she doesn’t, she will be treated as an adult and ordered to serve 48 months in prison.Crawford’s trial is set for July 30 and 31. He is already in prison serving time for his role in the Dec. 21, 2001, Harvey’s Trading Post burglary.Vajgrt said the County Attorney’s Office hasn’t prosecuted as many meth-related offenses since the Thanksgiving arrests last year."I do think law enforcement has done a good job," Vajgrt said. "We obviously need to keep working at it, but I think they’ve put a significant dent in the drug traffic here."
