Nathan M. Hartung, 28, was sentenced Wednesday in Gage County District Court by Judge Paul Korslund.

Hartung requested a sentence of probation, which Korslund said was not a suitable option due in large part to Hartung’s extensive criminal history.

“This may be one of these cases that the statistics would show that the courts are sending someone to prison for a drug offense that’s a nonviolent offense,” Korslund said. “I wish somehow these statistics that we see would take into account when drug court has been tried, probation has been tried and other alternatives have been tried and it just gets to a point, regrettably, that we run out of alternatives.

“I don’t doubt your sincerity, but probation is just not realistic under these conditions.”

The count of attempted manufacture of methamphetamine, a class 3 felony, carried a penalty of 1-20 years incarceration and up to a $25,000 fine.

A second charge of conspiracy was dropped as part of a plea agreement.

Hartung was arrested along with Shane E. Morgan in August after Gage County deputies spotted a parked vehicle in rural Gage County on West Juniper Road, just west of Southwest 45th Road.

Deputies contacted Morgan, who claimed he and his friend ran out of gas on their way back from Lincoln.

Morgan then stated Hartung had left and walked back to Beatrice to get fuel.

Morgan was placed under arrest for driving under suspension after admitting he had driven, according to Court records. While looking in the vehicle from outside, deputies and a Beatrice Police officer were able to observe items in plain view they identified as components of a meth lab.

While driving to assist the deputy who located the lab, a second deputy located Hartung walking on a gravel road.

A search of the vehicle located some small zip lock bags with a crystal substance, which field-tested positive for methamphetamine.

Morgan previously entered a guilty plea to a reduced charge of attempting a class 2 felony. He’s scheduled to be sentenced Feb. 4.