A 28-year-old Hutchinson man who was charged with selling drugs twice to confidential informants back in July of last year is now charged with racketeering which carries a maximum sentence of 493-months or roughly 41-years in prison.
Deputy District Attorney Tom Stanton had warned that the new charge against Matthew Gullick would be coming. The drug cases had already gone through a preliminary hearing and was before Judge Tim Chambers for a possible trial, but now the case goes back to Judge Joe McCarville for a whole new preliminary hearing.
The racketeering charge is now the main charge filed in the case, however is an alternate count to the previous charges filed. That means he can only be sentenced on the racketeering or the other charges.
The new charge includes the sale of methamphetamine on two occasions, July 24 and July 31, of last year, no tax stamp, two counts of making false information and two counts of possession of stolen property. Those crimes allegedly occurring on November 13, 2013.
The new complaint also combines the other charges all in one complaint.
In both cases involving the sale of meth, law enforcement used informants to make the buys. In the first case, he allegedly sold less then a half a gram to the officer, and the second time, it was just over 2 grams.
The other charges in the new complaint also includes no tax stamp, two counts of making false information concerning two pawn tickets and the two counts of possession of stolen property.
Gullick appeared via-video from the Reno County Jail Wednesday morning where he was read the new complaint and possible penalties. Gullick wanted to know if the bond was still at 150-thousand with the new charge and he was informed that it didn’t change.
The case now moves back to a waiver-status docket in front of Judge McCarville on April 30.