Man pleads to drug charges

Published 2:28 pm Saturday, August 2, 2008

The last of four individuals charged with the sale of hundreds of Ecstasy pills pleaded guilty to drug charges through plea agreement in Mower County District Court Thursday.

Trisha Ruth Severson, 34, pleaded guilty to a single felony count of third-degree aid and abet a controlled substance crime.

Court documents said she was originally charged with second- and fifth-degree drug crimes.

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According to the criminal complaint, Severson was taped along with three others — 23-year old Tom Heuangsayaseng; 36-year-old Khammay Stacy Douangmala; and 21-year-old Bobby Thonesavanh — discussing and selling Ecstasy pills to a confidential police informant more than a half-dozen times between April and May 2007.

The complaint said Severson contacted the informant April 9 to discuss a partnership to sell pills locally.

He allegedly went to an Oakland Avenue East address to work out details with her and Thonesavanh.

The next day, he was sold 15 pills that tested positive for methamphetamine and Ecstasy, the complaint said.

Between April 10 and May 16, the four sold a total of 310 pills to the informant before their arrests during search warrants May 18 at three homes linked to drug activity: 1111 Eighth Ave. S.W., 2119 Third Ave. N.E. and 1605 East Oakland Ave.

Police found a large bag of pink pills and drug paraphernalia at the Oakland Avenue home.

Prior to the drug arrest, Heuangsayaseng was taken into custody April 18 for allegedly driving after revocation.

The complaint said $13,180 was found in a hidden compartment in the vehicle.

The day he was released, the complaint states, he sold 100 pills to the informant from the Eighth Avenue address.

The other three defendants have already been sentenced for charges: Heuangsayaseng received 94 months in prison Oct. 12 for a first-degree drug charge; Douangmala received 10 years probation for a third-degree charge in April; and Thonesavanh received 32 months for a first-degree conviction and 58 months for a second-degree conviction that same month.

His sentences were concurrent.

Severson is scheduled to appear in court again Jan. 2.