Man facing 4 drug trials loses first

Maurice J. Plank III had some luck in August when he escaped a charge that he helped cover up a murder, but not this week.

Plank, 36, was arrested on drug warrants when a June 13 homicide in the Shadle Wal-Mart parking lot led police to him and other associates of first-degree murder suspect Clifford Mark Meyers.

Charged with six drug-related crimes in four separate cases, Plank rejected Deputy Prosecutor David Stevens’ proposal to handle all four cases in one trial. He wanted four separate trials.

A jury convicted Plank of possessing methamphetamine with intent to deliver in the first of two back-to-back trials scheduled this week. Before another jury could be seated, Plank pleaded guilty to possession of methamphetamine in the second case.

At that point, it was Stevens who insisted on keeping the cases separate. Superior Court Judge Sam Cozza granted Stevens’ request for separate sentencing dates so Stevens could argue for consecutive instead of concurrent sentences.

Sentences imposed at the same time must be served at the same time; those imposed on different days may be back-to-back if a judge wishes.

Plank faces standard ranges of five to 10 years in prison for his first conviction this week, and one to two years for his second. And he still faces two more trials.

At least, though, Plank is off the hook for allegedly rendering criminal assistance in the Wal-Mart parking lot homicide by later removing a vehicle left there when Meyers allegedly murdered 22-year-old Elijah J. Bishop.

Deputy Prosecutor Shane Smith said he dismissed rendering-criminal-assistance charges in August against Plank and 25-year-old Jason E. Smith, who was accused of helping Plank move the car. Deputy Prosecutor Smith also dismissed a rendering charge against William Joseph Mayes, 41, who was accused of hiding guns and transporting Meyers after the homicide.

Smith said there was insufficient evidence to prove the three charged with rendering criminal assistance were aware that they were helping cover up a crime. None of the three was present during the shooting.

Meyers is scheduled for trial Nov. 14.