A man who police say was smoking pot and revving his engine while in possession of $4,125 in cash, a lot of methamphetamine and the means to distribute says it wasn’t his. But the prosecutor doesn’t believe him, and the judge sentenced him to five years in prison.

Jonathan Hatheway was originally charged with drug trafficking, but a lab report led prosecutors to reduce that charge to possession, after it was determined that the amount of the drug did not rise to the level of a trafficking charge.

As we reported, he was arrested largely because of a noise complaint, when neighbors in the 2800 block of Sylvanie reported a man in a vehicle repeatedly revving his engine.  Investigators say there was a loaded handgun found in the car, along with a lot of meth, some marijuana, a digital scale and some plastic baggies.

In court Thursday Hatheway said he was having car trouble.  He admitted he was drunk and high.  But he added that he had given a ride to another man, and that man claims the meth was his and had been left in the car. Hatheway says he got the cash from his roofing job.

Prosecutor Ron Holiday pointed out that Hatheway fled on foot when confronted by police, indicating he knew he was guilty.  Holiday says the struggle left the officer’s radio broken and his knee injured.

Judge Daniel Kellogg sentenced the defendant to five years in prison.