A Hull woman will be spending some significant time in the Illinois Department of Corrections stemming from an arrest this past Fall.
38 year old Carmella I. Birchum pleaded guilty in two separate cases last Tuesday in Pike County Court. Birchum, formerly known as Carmella Bills, pled guilty to a count of possession of methamphetamine less than 5 grams.
On July 29th of last year, Birchum was arrested along with 53 year old James M. Gardiner by Pike County Sheriff’s Deputies at a residence in the 600 block of Elm Street in Hull after the serving of a warrant. Birchum was charged with the methamphetamine and possession of drug paraphernalia in the arrest.
In this case, Birchum was sentenced to 9 months of conditional discharge and a $500 county fine.
Birchum and Gardiner were re-arrested at the same residence in Hull on the evening of September 6th after a reported disturbance. Birchum was again charged with possession of methamphetamine and possession of drug paraphernalia.
In this case, Birchum was sentenced to 3 years and 6 months in the Illinois Department of Corrections, along with a $500 county fine. Birchum was given credit for 21 days served in the Pike County Jail.
Birchum was re-arrested by Pike County Sheriff’s Deputies on Tuesday of last week on a possession of a controlled substance charge and has been lodged at the Pike County Jail since her court date.
Gardiner has bonded out for his offenses and has failed to appear in Pike County Court for arraignment on charges for both arrests, according to online court documents.