A Lake City man arrested earlier this year for alleged drug trafficking was sentenced to probation Tuesday after pleading guilty to reduced charges. According to Carroll County District Court records, 33-year-old Nicholas Russell Pickering pled guilty to three counts of possession of methamphetamine, serious misdemeanors. He was ordered to serve one year in jail and pay $430 in fines for each count, with the terms to be served concurrently. However, the combined three-year sentence was suspended as part of a plea agreement with prosecutors. Instead, Pickering was placed on probation for three years to the Iowa Department of Correctional Services. Pickering was arrested twice by the Carroll Police Department on Nov. 24, 2020 and Feb. 17 after law enforcement located narcotics, baggies and scales in his possession on both occasions.
