PINEDALE (WNE) — A man who received a split sentence on felony drug charges in July apparently violated his unsupervised probation after calling dispatch to report he was hiding from snipers at the Sublette County Courthouse.

On Oct. 12 around 3 p.m., Deputy Todd Morgan was sent to Mill Street to talk to John E. Handy, where he was hiding in his truck, according to the affidavit. A “very paranoid” Handy said 100 people were trying to “sniper” him from a building across the street.

Morgan assured Handy that he was safe, then moved his patrol vehicle closer so Handy would feel protected as he left his truck and got in with the deputy. Morgan first conducted a pat-down on Handy and found an uncapped used syringe with some clear liquid that Handy said belonged to a diabetic friend, but drug detectives who tested it found it presumptive positive as meth, according to the affidavit.

Handy was arrested and charged with misdemeanor meth possession and probation violation.

He had been charged in January with three felonies: two of delivering a controlled substance, one of felony conspiracy and one misdemeanor possession of a controlled substance.

He pleaded not guilty in 9th District Court and one felony charge was dropped, records show. He was set to go to trial but a plea agreement was reached.

On July 15, Handy pleaded “no contest” to delivery of a controlled substance, THC, and misdemeanor possession of THC. He was sentenced to five to seven years in prison, suspended, for a 30-day jail sentence and three years unsupervised probation.