LANSING, Mich. — A former Osceola County sheriff’s deputy will serve concurrent sentences on a total of nine counts for possessing child sexually abusive material and a number of felony drug crimes, Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel announced Thursday.
Andrew Wernette, 39, of Reed City, pleaded guilty to the following counts back in February:
- Two counts of aggravated child sexually abusive activity, a 25-year felony
- Sentenced to three years, four months to 25 years for each count
- Using a computer to commit a crime, a 20-year felony
- Sentenced to three years, four months to 25 years
- Child sexually abusive activity aggravated possession, a 10-year felony
- Sentenced to three years, four months to 10 years
- Child sexually abusive material distributing or promoting, a seven-year felony
- Sentenced to eight-and-a-half months to seven years
- Larceny in a building, a four-year felony
- Sentenced to eight-and-a-half months to seven years
- Possession of a controlled substance – morphine, a two-year felony
- Sentenced to five-and-a-half months to two years
- Possession of a controlled substance – OxyContin, a two-year felony
- Sentenced to five-and-a-half months to two years
- Controlled substance – maintaining a drug house, a two-year high-court misdemeanor
- Sentenced to five-and-a-half months to two years
He’ll also need to register as a tier two sex offender.
“This defendant took advantage of the position he held as a law enforcement officer to obtain various drugs for his personal use and engaged in extremely disturbing acts that exploited minors,” Judge Scott Hill-Kennedy said. “We must not stand for this immoral behavior and this office will continue to take action to enforce the law and protect children in this state.”
A tip provided to authorities led to the execution of a search warrant, which helped police find more than 100 images and video of child sexually abusive material on Wernette’s computers and cell phone.
It also led authorities to discover drugs that were illegally in his possession.
Nessel’s office says Wernette used his position as a deputy in charge of the drug takeback program at the Osceola County Sheriff’s Office to procure various medications meant to be disposed of for his own personal use.
Michigan State Police arrested Wernette on Sept. 14, 2020.
Nessel’s office prosecuted the case after a request from the Osceola County Prosecutor’s Office because of a conflict of interest.
