A Jones County man was in Superior Court for the second time in less than six months, and with each visit, he received 15 years to serve in prison.

Jonathan Greene, 43, was sentenced as a recidivist Oct. 22 because of his previous convictions, which includes a plea he entered this past May. The defendant was sentenced by Superior Court Judge Hulane George to a total of 30 years for Violation of the Georgia Controlled Substance Act, possession of methamphetamine and alprazolam with the intent to distribute.

Assistant District Attorney Gregory Bushway said Greene was arrested July 18, 2008, by Jones County Sheriff’s Department Investigators Gerry Nelson and Robert Reece.

“They went to a mobile home park and saw Greene cleaning out his pickup truck. A cigarette pack found in the truck contained pills,” Bushway said.

The prosecutor said a meth pipe was found in the back seat of the patrol car after the suspect was transported.

Bushway told Greene the maximum charge for the offenses is 40 years to life imprisonment, and the least is 20 years probation. He explained that being sentenced as a recidivist means he will not be eligible for parole for 15 years.

Superior Court Judge Hugh Wingfield sentenced Greene to 30 years on the charge of VGCSA possession of methamphetamine with intent to distribute May 28, also with 15 years to serve. That sentence resulted from Greene’s arrest by Reece and Nelson May 3, 2008, on Shurling Drive with 18-year-old Heather Simmons.

The two sentences will run concurrently totaling 30 years with 15 to serve, according to Bushway.

Greene’s record with Jones County apparently predates an arrest in January of 2004 when a straw containing a white grainy residue was found in his truck and his drug test was positive. He was at the Gray probation office at the time of that arrest.