Ron Welch
Muskingum County Prosecutor
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Wednesday, September 30, 2026
Jury Rejects Defendant's Explanations for Methamphetamine; Angelo Sentenced to Five Years
(ZANESVILLE, Ohio) — A man who offered a series of explanations for why the methamphetamine police found in his truck was not actually methamphetamine has been sentenced to five years in prison following his conviction by a Muskingum County jury.
Joseph Angelo was convicted of Possession of Methamphetamine, a second-degree felony, and Illegal Use or Possession of Drug Paraphernalia.
The jury also found in favor of the State on a forfeiture specification.
Assistant Prosecuting Attorney Warren Edwards represented the State and asked the court to impose the maximum eight-year prison sentence.
The court sentenced Angelo to five years in prison.
Passed Out at a Gas Pump
The case began when Zanesville Police officers were dispatched to a local business for a report of a man passed out in his truck at a gas pump.
When officers arrived, Angelo had reportedly been passed out for more than an hour.
A Muskingum County K9 alerted to the presence of narcotics in Angelo's truck.
Officers searched the vehicle and discovered a digital scale and a clear plastic bag containing a white powdery/crystal substance.
Laboratory testing confirmed the substance was methamphetamine.
The Explanations
Angelo represented himself at trial and offered several explanations for the substance found in his truck.
He initially claimed the methamphetamine was actually a health supplement.
Angelo later said he originally believed the substance was methamphetamine until he tried it. Because it did not get him high, Angelo said he then concluded it was not methamphetamine.
He also attempted to argue that he had a prescription for methamphetamine.
The laboratory testing established otherwise.
Jurors deliberated for less than 30 minutes before finding Angelo guilty.
A History Involving Methamphetamine
This was also not Angelo's first involvement with the criminal justice system.
In 2019, Angelo was convicted of child endangering in Zanesville Municipal Court. That conviction was later affirmed by the Fifth District Court of Appeals.
At Angelo's most recent trial, Edwards addressed Angelo's longstanding drug use.
“My thanks to the jurors for their patience in sitting through the various stories crafted by a mind who has been influenced by twenty years of drug usage,” Edwards said following the verdict.
The State requested the maximum eight-year prison sentence.
Angelo was sentenced to five years in prison.
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