BEATRICE – A Lincoln man is being sent to prison, after having his five-year Gage County probation sentence revoked, for violations.  22-year-old Chase Lyons has been ordered to serve 6-to-8 years in prison, for drug distribution and possession. He had been on probation since May 6th, of 2021.


"He's still got a Lancaster County case that he has to resolve, so certainly that could end up resulting in more time if he's convicted there, but that's for Lancaster County to sort out. I think the letter Mr. Lyons wrote in the PSI is well written. I think he takes responsibility for his actions and doesn't try to put it on anyone else and basically admits that probation hasn't worked out for him because of his own choices and relapsing...and I think he's prepared for a prison sentence."


Gage County Public Defender Lee Timan represented Lyons, who has been on probation in both juvenile and adult court. The pending Lancaster County case against Lyons is a felony theft matter.


Gage County District Judge Rick Schreiner said when Lyons first came into the juvenile justice system, he was given probation on an assault conviction, but failed to successfully complete it. The judge said Lyons had racked up a felony record of violations before he entered adult court.


"What we usually see with juveniles is minors in possession...those kinds of things. But, you were committing class-two felonies at the age of 15, 16 and 17. Juvenile court...the goal is to solve the problem that brought the individual before the court but they were unable to do so, with probation."


Schreiner said he and the State of Nebraska have given Lyons multiple opportunities, but that has failed because he said the defendant hasn’t tried.


"No judge that I know, likes to put people in prison. It's not one of those things we enjoy. We especially don't like putting people in prison who essentially have just begun their adult life. So, now you are going to spend some of your adult life in an institution, that may or may not solve the problem."


Lyons acknowledged he’s had multiple opportunities to succeed and apologized to the court.  The sentences included 6-to-8 years on the drug distribution conviction and 2 years on the drug possession count...but the sentences will be served at the same time. Lyons received credit for 146 days spent in jail.
He could become eligible for parole in about two-years-eight months.


Lyons was arrested in August of 2018 following an undercover drug investigation where he sold methamphetamine on two occasions to a confidential informant monitored by law officers. One of the buys occurred about 720 feet from Paddock Lane Elementary School, in Beatrice.