News Photo by Temi Fadayomi Hunter Curry and Jason Urban make their way out of the Alpena 26th Circuit Court on Monday.

ALPENA — A 48-year-old Alpena man receives a lighter sentence for methamphetamine delivery by putting in the effort to change.

Jason Urban pleaded guilty to two counts of delivery of methamphetamine, one count of possession of methamphetamine, one count of possession of narcotics, and of resisting a police officer. The charges were a result of two incidents that took place in 2022.

Despite pleading guilty to all of these charges, Urban was only sentenced to one year in the county jail with credit for 14 days.

According to Urban’s attorney, Bill Pfeifer, Urban had gone above and beyond in his efforts to change and turn his life around.

These efforts included self-checking into drug rehab, attending it daily and paying for it himself, being tested three times a week and remaining clean, and being out on bond for nearly two years without incident.

“He’s probably done more than anyone I can recall,” Pfeifer said to Judge Ed Black during Urban’s sentencing.

While Judge Black does acknowledge the strides that Urban has made to better himself, he ultimately still insists that Urban serve some form of incarceration as a way to deter others from committing similar crimes.

“Can’t just look at the deliveries and not incarcerate you,” Black said.

Also in court on Monday:

∫ Hunter Curry was sentenced to 12 months of incarceration with credit for two days after pleading guilty to one count of domestic violence and one count of assault.

Curry received these charges after entering the house of an ex-girlfriend and demanding to see her, pushing her eight-year-old daughter, and swinging a bat at her mother as she was attempting to make him leave.

During the victim impact statement given by his ex-girlfriend’s mother, she insisted that Curry was a violent and abusive person who she hopes will receive the help he needs while he is away from the community in jail.

At multiple points during sentencing, Curry attempted to rescind his plea deal, stating that he was led to believe that as long as he was able to get a full-term job he would not serve any jail time.

Judge Black denies Curry’s efforts saying that if he has an issue with the sentencing then he is free to appeal.

∫ Mitchell Foster pled guilty to one count of domestic violence, one count of assault with intent to do great bodily harm less than murder, and one count of intimidating a witness.

Foster received these charges after an altercation on Dec. 9, 2023, with his then-girlfriend that saw him push her and eventually place her in a chokehold. While in the Alpena County jail after that incident, Foster sent the victim a letter that insisted that she testify that he was acting in self-defense.