NEW ULM — A 48-year-old Mankato man found guilty of two counts of an eight-count drug sale case by a Brown County District Court jury last month received a stay of imposition May 15.

After nearly five hours of deliberation in April, a jury found Joel A. Wortman, 50 Teton Lane, Mankato, guilty of felony 3rd-degree aiding/abetting drug sale and gross misdemeanor contributing to the delinquency of a child as a juvenile petty offender.

He was acquitted on three counts of felony 3rd-degree drug sale, two counts of soliciting/conspiring for a juvenile to commit a criminal act and one count of gross misdemeanor contributing to the delinquency of a minor.

The case stemmed from two drug buys by an undercover agent (UC) in June 2013 at Traulich Estates in New Ulm.

Last month, State’s Attorney Paul Gunderson of New Ulm argued that Wortman should have been a stepdad who stopped the drug sale, but instead was a drug dealer who profited. Gunderson said the case’s evidence showed he had access to 90 Suboxone pills and a story of Wortman taking Suboxone for pain was not justifiable. Gunderson said the story about Wortman using sublingual film medication was a smoke screen.

In addition, Gunderson said Wortman’s prescription record showed he had the pills to sell and that the State proved the case beyond a reasonable doubt.

Wortman’s attorney Kevin Green of Mankato said Wortman was taking film medication, not tablets, since 2013. In addition, Green said terrible psychological things will happen to Wortman if he doesn’t take three Suboxone pills a day. “Why would he sell them?,” Green asked.

In addition, Green said the whole thing was cooked up by a 15-year-old girl and a confidential informant (CI) who was working off his time.

“Why would Mr. Wortman sell 10 of his pills to get $15? It’s a frame job,” Green said.

Gunderson told the jury not to argue on irrelevant details, but focus on the evidence of pills and text messages.

Wortman’s felony sentence was 60 days local confinement. He was credited with three days served, fined $1,585 and placed on 10 years supervised probation. Conditions include obtaining a mental health evaluation and complying with the therapist as directed. He was ordered to take medications in the prescribed dosage and frequency, not use or possess any mood-altering chemicals including alcohol, with the exception of approved prescribed medication.

He was ordered not to use or possess firearms, ammunition or explosives and not register to vote or vote until discharged from probation and his civil rights are fully restored. He was sentenced to 40 hours Sentence to Service.

For the gross misdemeanor sentence, he was placed on two years supervised probation by Judge Robert Docherty.

Gunderson said the Minnesota Department of Corrections sentence recommendation was 90 days and a stay of execution.