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Folsom Jr. pleads out 2016 drug case

A 2016 drug case came to a close with a plea deal Friday. James Folsom Jr., 31, of Dillingham reached an agreement with the state and took responsibility for dealing the heroin and meth he was caught with that October.

Folsom Jr. was sentenced to a total of 22 months; he has been in custody since his arrest and is expected to be released soon for time-served.

The case began when Folsom was caught trying to cheat on a drug test as part of his probation from an earlier felony drug-related conviction. During a follow on search, law enforcement turned up heroin, meth, guns, and a large amount of cash in his car and home.

Folsom Jr. pleaded to a drug charge, a weapons charge, and attempted evidence tampering.  In addition to the jail time, he was ordered to forfeit the cash and guns, and spend an additional two years on probation.

Folsom’s lawyer said his client is ready to get home, get a job, and get his life back on track. A probation officer called the sentence "certainly on the lenient end," but agreed that it is in line with Alaska's recent criminal justice reforms.

Superior Court Judge Tina Reigh accepted the terms of the plea deal and wished Folsom success.

"My hope is that you never want to set foot back in jail again," she said.

news@kdlg.org