Ron Welch
Muskingum County Prosecutor
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Thursday, July 16, 2026
Zanesville Man Sentenced to 8 Years for Aggravated Possession of Drugs
(ZANESVILLE, OH)
On July 8, 2026, Kyle Sharrer, 34, appeared before Judge Gerald Anderson in the Muskingum County Court of Common Pleas to be sentenced for one count of Aggravated Possession of Drugs, a felony of the second-degree.
Lucas Howard, the Assistant Prosecuting Attorney assigned to Sharrer’s case, argued for a maximum sentence of eight years, citing Sharrer’s never-ending cycle of criminality. Sharrer, through his Defense Attorney Keith Edwards, argued that he believed he was drugged so that he could be robbed and that was how the drugs came to be in his possession. Judge Anderson imposed a seven-year prison sentence.
Sharrer’s criminal history includes convictions and prison time served for: Escape, Having Weapons While Under Disability, Possession of Cocaine, Possession of Drugs, Burglary, Possession of Criminal Tools, and Theft.
Sharrer was also on post release control for a Possession of Drugs and Having Weapons Under Disability conviction at the time of sentencing, the violation of which led to the arrest warrant on which Sharrer was arrested in this case.
Post release control is a period of supervision by the Adult Parole Authority following an individual’s release from prison. Conditions of parole can include reporting to an officer, not committing new crimes, and passing drug tests. If an individual violates a condition of their parole, they can be brought back to court for a hearing which can lead to further sanctions or a return to prison. Judges, at the time of sentencing, can terminate an individual’s post release control and impose any remaining time on their post release control onto the new sentence.
Judge Anderson terminated Sharrer’s post release control and ordered an additional one year of prison to be served consecutively, directly, after the seven-year sentence. Sharrer was sentenced to a total of eight years of mandatory prison time.
Details of the Case:
Earlier this year an active arrest warrant was issued for Kyle Sharrer through the Ohio Adult Parole Authority for a parole violation. In relation to the warrant, Deputies Tyler Patterson and Adam Swope were dispatched to a local motel in reference to Sharrer’s current location.
Deputies located Sharrer and after advising him of the warrant, placed him under arrest. During a search of Sharrer’s person, deputies located a large amount of what would later be confirmed as methamphetamine.
A search warrant for the hotel room was then executed by members of the Central Ohio Drug Enforcement Task Force where Detective Chase Lanning located bags which contained drugs. A search of Sharrer’s vehicle revealed additional drugs. The total weight of the drugs located in Sharrer’s possession would later be confirmed as over thirty grams of methamphetamine.
“The sentence in this case represents the most substantial punishment Mr. Sharrer has received for his crimes to date,” said APA Lucas Howard. “If you choose to repeatedly commit crimes in Muskingum County, the end result will be a lengthy prison sentence every single time.”
###
Follow the Muskingum County Prosecutor’s Office on Facebook for the most current and complete information.
