Drug charges and parole violations were among the cases heard in Lawrence County Common Pleas Court Wednesday.

John E. Payne, 50, of 2421 S Fifth St. in Ironton, pleaded guilty to one count of aggravated drug possession, a fifth degree felony.

Judge Scott Bowling sentenced Payne to four years of community-controlled sanctions and ordered him to complete the STAR community justice program. He also granted Payne four days away from the jail for medical purposes. Payne recently had heart surgery and needed to attend an appointment with a physician in order to be admitted to STAR.

Bowling asked Payne if he would use drugs if he let him have time away.

“No sir, I’m done with drugs,” Payne said. He added that he has not done drugs since June 16.

Also in Common Pleas Court, Aaron Kelley, 22, of 401 Center St.Apartment 2 in Ironton, admitted to violating the terms of his parole by testing positive for drugs on two occasions. Judge Charles Cooper sentenced Kelley to six months in the STAR community justice program.

“We’re sending him to STAR to work on this drug problem that he seems to have,” Cooper said.

William Pence, 23, of 326 Township Road in South Point, admitted to violating the terms of his community-controlled sanctions by failing to pay restitution and complete the necessary community service hours. Pence’s community-controlled sanctions were extended one year.

Jason Sizemore, 24, of 18023 State Route 93 in Pedro, pleaded guilty to a bill of information that included one count of breaking and entering, a fifth degree felony. Judge Scott Bowling sentenced Sizemore to four years of community-controlled sanctions and ordered him to complete the STAR community justice program. Bowling set bond at $50,000 in the case and ordered Sizemore to report to jail by Aug. 7 to be admitted to the STAR program.

Patrick Marcum, 24, of 223 Township Road 1106, admitted to violating the terms of his community controlled-sanctions by failing to pay restitution and complete the ordered number of community service hours. Judge Bowling extended Marcum’s community-controlled sanctions for one year, but told him if fulfilled the terms, the CCS could be terminated.

James Hildreth, 39, of 211 Orchard St. in Ironton, pleaded guilty to two counts of criminal non support, a fifth degree felony. Judge Cooper sentenced Hildreth to six months at the STAR community justice program and four years of community-controlled sanctions.

Jerome Yancey, of 729 County Road 1 in South Point, pleaded guilty to three counts of drug trafficking, a third degree felony. Yancey will be sentenced for the crime August 11.

Judge Cooper issued a bench warrant for Nicholas Sycks, 23, of Ironton. Sycks failed to show up for a pretrial hearing for an escape charge.