Drug dealer who threatened to kill SSCENT officer sentenced to prison

“He calls her and says, ‘You ratted me out to the police. If I don’t get these charges kicked, I promise I’m going to have you killed.’”

By Allison Scarbrough, News Editor

Childers

LUDINGTON — A 27-year-old man convicted of multiple felonies for drug dealing and crimes in connection to threatening to kill an undercover narcotics officer who he thought was a “snitch” received a hefty prison sentence from Judge Susan K. Sniegowski in Mason County’s 51st Circuit Court Tuesday, April 21.

Tykeece Lawaun Childers pleaded no contest Feb. 17 to nine felonies and one misdemeanor in three separate criminal cases including: 

• malicious use of a telecommunications device (misdemeanor) 
• intimidating a witness – committing a crime/threatening to kill or injure
• four counts of delivery/manufacture of methamphetamine 
• fleeing and eluding a police officer
• two counts of assaulting/resisting/obstructing police
• delivery/manufacture of cocaine, heroin or another narcotic

Childers was prosecuted as a four-time habitual offender.

He was sentenced Tuesday to the following concurrent terms:

• 145 months (just over 12 years) to 40 years in prison with credit for 176 days served in jail;
• 176 days in jail with credit for 176 days served in jail;
• four terms of 145 months to 40 years with credit for 180 days served in jail;
• Two terms of 46 months to 40 years in prison with credit for 180 days served in jail;
• Two terms of 46 months to 15 years in prison with credit for 180 days served in jail.

The crimes were investigated by the State, Sheriffs, and Chiefs Enforcement of Narcotics Team (SSCENT).

“Tykeece Childers was originally charged earlier with three counts of delivery of meth and a count of delivery of less than 50 grams of fentanyl,” said Mason County Prosecuting Attorney Beth Hand. “When they got that warrant, the police ordered another 10 ounces of methamphetamine, and he showed up to deliver it to the undercover officer. Prior to his delivery of it, they attempted to arrest him for the other warrants, and he took off. So, he was charged with fleeing and eluding police in that case as well as possession with intent to deliver 10 ounces of methamphetamine.”

Following his arraignment on those charges, Childers bonded out of jail. “He calls who he thinks is the informant, and it’s actually the undercover officer,” said Prosecutor Hand. “He thinks the undercover officer is a police informant. He thinks she turned him in. He calls her and says, ‘You ratted me out to the police. If I don’t get these charges kicked, I promise I’m going to have you killed.’”

The conversation was recorded, the prosecutor said. “He thought he was threatening what he calls a ‘snitch,’ but it was actually a police officer. He thought the undercover agent he was selling to was a civilian, and he accused her of working with the police when in fact she was the police.”

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