EATON — A Preble County man will serve up to 4 1/2 years in prison after being charged with aggravated possession of drugs in July 2022.

On Jan. 24, 2024, Robert Raybourne Jr., 58, most recently from Camden, was sentenced to an indefinite term of three to four and one half years in prison by the Preble County Court of Common Pleas.

Raybourne entered a plea of guilty “as charged” to one count “aggravated possession of drugs,” a felony of the second degree, carrying a mandatory term of between 2 and 8 years in Department of Rehabilitation and Corrections custody, to be imposed in one-year increments, according to Preble County Prosecuting Attorney Marty Votel.

“The charges stem from a July 19, 2022 incident when Raybourne was discovered asleep behind the wheel of his vehicle on a Camden side street. Chief Matthew Spurlock of the Camden Police Department responded to a complaint filed by a citizen who was concerned about Mr. Raybourne’s condition,” Votel explained in a press release. “When Chief Spurlock approached the car, he saw a glass ‘methamphetamine pipe’ in plain view in the center console of the vehicle.”

Raybourne was arrested for the drug paraphernalia charge, and a search subsequent to his arrest revealed 18.43 grams of methamphetamine in his pocket, along with a number of Xanax pills in a plastic baggie, according to Votel.

“Raybourne was on parole at the time of this offense and was sent back to prison on a violation. It was this parole development, as well as a back-log at the state forensic lab, which caused delay in the prosecution of the case,” Votel noted.

“This defendant has a significant criminal history dating back 40 years, with multiple prison terms and many serious criminal convictions, including illegal manufacture of drugs, illegal assembly of chemicals for the manufacture of drugs, aggravated possession of drugs, theft, and receiving stolen property,” Votel said. “Although the Prosecutor’s Office formally recommended a longer prison sentence in this case, the state does believe this defendant’s incarceration will help protect the Preble County community from future crime by this defendant, particularly in the vicinity of Camden. Compliments to Chief Spurlock and the Camden Police Department for a job well done.”