Custer man pleads guilty to meth lab charges

Russell Wallager with his attorney, William Weise.

By Allison Scarbrough. Contributing Editor.

LUDINGTON — A Custer man faces a minimum of eight years in prison in connection to a meth lab bust last January after pleading guilty in 51st Circuit Court Tuesday, July 21, to felonies of operating/maintaining a lab involving firearm/other harmful device and manufacturing methamphetamine.

In exchange to Russell Allen Wallager’s guilty pleas to the two charges, two counts of felony firearm were dismissed. He also pleaded guilty to second-offense habitual offender.

Wallager had rejected a plea deal offered by Mason Prosecutor Spaniola last April and was awaiting a jury trial. However, Wallager pleaded guilty Tuesday after a resolution was reached.

He was arrested Jan. 15 by the State Sheriffs’, Chiefs’ Enforcement of Narcotics Team (SSCENT) at a residence in the 6000 block of US-10 in Branch Township where a meth lab was discovered.

The plea deal calls for an eight to 50 year prison sentence for count 1 and an eight to 40 year prison term for count 2. The counts are to run concurrently.

Wallager is currently lodged in the Mason County Jail on a $75,000 cash/surety bond. Sentencing is set for Sept. 1 at 2:30 p.m.