A man accused of theft and drug trafficking in two separate cases pleaded guilty to two felony charges Tuesday.
Derek J. Blubaugh, 21, of 11480 U.S. 36, Lot 128, Marysville, pleaded guilty to a third degree felony trafficking in lysergic acid diethylamide (LSD) charge with a specification for forfeiture of property and a fifth degree felony theft charge. A sentencing hearing is scheduled for Sept. 10.
A Champaign County grand jury indicted Blubaugh twice since June including a July indictment for drug trafficking. The charges were brought forward following an investigation by the Champaign County Sheriff’s Office Criminal Investigations Division.
The investigation started on June 19. Deputies say that he was offering to sell LSD. Investigators established surveillance on Blubaugh over an eight-day period during which he allegedly sold strips of LSD on two occasions. Investigators reported that these transactions occurred at the North Lewisburg Community Park near juveniles.
During the investigation, Blubaugh was observed riding a bicycle to the park and wearing a curly wig. He was arrested and transported to the Tri-County Regional Jail, Mechanicsburg, on June 26.
Earlier in June, Blubaugh was indicted for theft and receiving stolen property stemming from an April 16 incident.
A notice of bond violation was filed by Champaign County Assistant Prosecutor Wesley Somogy on June 29 alleging two bond violations including having contact with his co-defendant in the theft case and being indicted in Union County for theft, petty theft, tampering with records and aggravated menacing on June 23.
Deputies reported seeing Blubaugh in a vehicle driven by co-defendant Rachel Miller on June 21.
Miller, 36, of 701 Mill St., North Lewisburg, was also indicted in June for theft, receiving stolen property and falsification. The falsification charge stems from April 28 when Miller allegedly falsely reported that a television set she had been renting from Showplace had been stolen from her residence when she knew that she and Blubaugh had pawned the set without the knowledge or consent of the property owner.
Blubaugh admitted to the bond violations on July 2.
