FRANKLIN, Ind. — The Johnson County Prosecutor’s Office announced this week that a Franklin man was sentenced to serve 35 years in prison on felony drug-related charges.

Joseph Young, 44, was sentenced on felony charges of dealing in methamphetamine and unlawful possession of a syringe Monday in Johnson Superior Court 3.

JCPO said Young was sentenced to 25 years for dealing in methamphetamine as a level 2 felony. He was then sentenced to an additional 10 years for his status as a habitual offender, the prosecutor’s office added.

Young had previously been convicted on these same charges on Aug. 10 after a three-day trial. Young also pled guilty to three more counts of dealing in methamphetamine during the trial, with each of those counting as a level 4 felony.

Authorities initially came into contact with Young after detectives with the Franklin Police Department utilized a confidential informant to buy methamphetamine from him on three separate occasions between August and November of last year.

Young was subsequently arrested in March of this year after detectives served an arrest warrant, seizing 20 grams of methamphetamine from his vehicle in the process.

“I hope the message we’re sending is clear,” Johnson County Prosecutor Lance Hamner said. “Whether you’re local or coming from another county to deal drugs, it doesn’t matter. We’re equal opportunity, here. Drug dealers in Johnson County are going to spend decades in prison.”