Plea agreements reached in drug, robbery cases

HOUGHTON — Plea agreements were reached in two separate cases Monday afternoon in Houghton County.

The first involves a drug case from Atlantic Mine. Steven Ruotsala, 48, pleaded guilty to possession of meth, a ten-year felony and possession of the controlled substance Ritalin, a two-year felony.

Ruotsala was arrested in October at his residence following a drug bust. A 20-year Delivery or Manufacture of Meth felony charge was dismissed along with a felony domestic violence charge as part of the plea agreement.

Ruotsala’s minimum sentence will also be capped at 30 months when he appears in court again in 30 days.

In an unrelated case, 19-year-old Jake Hugall pled guilty to larceny of a firearm for his role in a break-in at a sporting goods store in Hancock last December. The charge is a felony punishable by five-years in prison but Hugall is expected to be sentenced according to the Holmes Youthful Trainee Act.

He was one of three people arrested for the theft. The cases against the other two suspects are still pending.

Hugall was taken into custody where he will remain until his sentencing.