FARMINGTON – A Farmington man was sentenced Friday in Franklin County Superior Court to three years in prison after he pleaded guilty to felony aggravated trafficking in scheduled drugs.

Chad Harding, 28, was one of several people snagged in a Franklin County drug sting tagged “Operation Crack Sealer” by law enforcement on May 5, 2005.

Harding was initially charged with two higher class felonies of the drug charge and another felony charge of tampering with a witness, informant, juror or victim. One of the aggravated trafficking charges was lowered one class and the other two charges were dismissed in a plea agreement with state prosecutors.

Assistant District Attorney Andrew Robinson said if the case went to trial, an informant would have testified that he bought Methadose, a schedule W drug, from Harding through a law-enforcement coordinated drug buy.

Harding was previously featured in the Sun Journal as a police informant stating he was clean before his arrest last spring.

When Justice Joseph Jabar asked Harding, who stood next to his attorney, Kevin Joyce, if he was taking any medication, Harding listed a number of prescription drugs including Zoloft, Xanax and Valium, anti-depressants and anxiety treatment drugs.

Jabar asked why he on so much medication and Harding said it was to treat his anxiety disorder.

– Donna M. Perry