Eureka man wins and loses at trial

A Eureka man won some and lost some at a jury trial that concluded Thursday in Lincoln County District Court.

Billy Jo Seter, 47, was found not guilty of criminal possession with intent to distribute and criminal possession of drug paraphrenalia. However, he was found guilty of the lesser offense of criminal possession of dangerous drugs and an additional count of the same charge.

The charges stemmed from a police search of a garage in the 300 block of 1st Avenue in Eureka along with a 1997 GMC Jimmy sport utility vehicle on March 3.

Among the items found in the search, according to court documents, were: 50.4 grams of methamphetamine, 5.7 grams of marijuana, a scale, snort tubes, wooden and glass pipes, 85 unused baggies, four used baggies and 19 baggies with meth.

Also arrested in relation to the search was Helen Michelle Basye, 57, who court documents say was working as a certified nurse’s aid.

The police report said that Eureka Police had been doing surveillance of the garage and that a street informant purchased some drugs from Basye.

Basye accepted a plea agreement on Sept. 19 where she pleaded guilty to an amended charge of criminal possession of dangerous drugs. Two misdemeanor charges of criminal possession of drug paraphrenalia were dismissed.

Basye is to be sentenced on Nov. 14 at 9:30 a.m.

Seter, who is not currently incarcerated, is set to be sentenced on Dec. 19 at 9:30 a.m.