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VALDOSTA — A Valdosta man recently pleaded guilty to drug charges in Cook County, authorities said.

Blake Michael Stewart, 29, entered guilty pleas to trafficking methamphetamine or amphetamine and possession of methamphetamine with intent to distribute as part of a plea deal, a statement from Alapaha Judicial Circuit District Attorney Chase L. Studstill said.

He received a 30-year sentence, with the first 15 years to be served in prison and the rest on probation, court documents dated Feb. 15 show.

Stewart was arrested in May 2022 after police were called to a motel in Adel, where officers saw suspected narcotics in plain view, the statement said. Tests showed the narcotics were methamphetamine; Stewart was later stopped by police and the Cook County Sheriff’s Office, who found a large amount of cash on his person, the DA’s office said.