FARMINGTON — A Farmington man was sentenced Friday to three years in prison with all but 28 days suspended for illegally trafficking in methadone. The conviction carried up to 10 years in prison.

Victor Oliver, 25, plead guilty to the trafficking charge in Franklin County Superior Court in Farmington.

Justice Michaela Murphy gave Oliver credit for time already served and placed him on two years probation; probation conditions included no possession of illegal drugs. He is subject to random search and testing. She also ordered him to pay a $400 fine.

A plea agreement between the state and Oliver dropped a charge of aggravated trafficking in a scheduled drug.

If the case had gone to trial, Assistant Attorney General David Fisher said there would have been testimony heard that Oliver offered to sell nine methadone pills to an individual for $72.

The confidential informant and Oliver arranged to meet in the Farmington Municipal Building parking lot on Feb. 20, 2008, Fisher said.

The informant was wearing a wire when the deal went through and Oliver handed over the pills, he said.

The informant then turned the pills and recording over to a drug agent, Fisher said.

When the judge asked if he understood what he was doing to plead guilty to the charge and give up his right to trial, Oliver said, “I am pleading to it so I guess I understand it.”

“While you are on probation, you have a three-year prison sentence hanging over you. If you violate it, you could go back to prison,” Murphy said.

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