FAIRBURY, NE — A Fairbury woman won’t need to serve jail time for a drug offense.
Jefferson County District Judge Vicky Johnson sentenced 43-year-old Cynthia Rice to two years probation on Thursday. Rice pleaded guilty to attempted possession of a controlled substance in February. A charge of possession of a controlled substance was amended and a charge of intent to distribute marijuana was dropped as part of a plea deal.
The case dates back to August, 2020. Court documents say Rice gave deputies with the Jefferson County Sheriff’s Office access to her house while they were searching for a fugitive. While in the house, deputies didn’t find the man but say they found drug paraphernalia and marijuana. They returned and executed a search warrant. According to court documents, they found more marijuana, meth, plastic baggies and a scale.
Some of the terms of the probation sentence include submitting to drug tests, not owning a gun, completing counseling and recovery programs and avoiding contact with Edward McGinnis, who was charged alongside Rice. McGinnis has pleaded not guilty to the same original charges as Rice and has a district court hearing set for June 17.
