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A Fremont man was sentenced to four years in prison Monday in Seneca County Common Pleas Court after pleading guilty to selling crack cocaine at the Seneca County Fair.

Donald Ray Carter, 44, known for his barbecue business D-Ray's BBQ Chicken & Ribs, was arrested by the Seneca County Drug Task Force-METRICH Enforcement Unit July 24 during the fair after they, using a undercover informant, bought crack cocaine from him twice.

Carter was sentenced in a joint recommendation to one year and three years on two counts of trafficking in crack cocaine.

The sentence was enhanced because the charges had additional specifications of selling drugs within 100 feet of juveniles. Carter also was ordered to pay restitution of $750 to the task force, of which $600 was seized in the raid. He also was sentenced to a six-month driver's license suspension.

"I think this goes to the credit of the courts, prosecutors, and the investigators. We're working to keep families safe in the area," said Detective Don Joseph, lead investigator on the case.

Carter said he apologized during Monday's hearing in front of Judge Steve Shuff. Carter told him he was selling cocaine to support his own habit.

Shuff said in court he made an analogy relating crack cocaine to rat poison.

"I asked him what type of sentence should I give someone who had placed rat poison on his barbecue and was selling it. I consider crack cocaine poison," Shuff said.

Law enforcement has said Carter would place a bag of crack cocaine underneath the food whenever someone he knew purchased the drug.

Seneca County Prosecutor Ken Egbert Jr. said Carter could be out in seven months. Egbert said because Carter admitted he was selling drugs to support his own drug habit, if he is released early he will recommend Carter be ordered to CROSSWAEH for six months to go through a drug rehabilitation program. If he is released early but violates his probation, he would have to serve the remainder of his sentence.

Carter has a prior 2004 drug trafficking conviction in Sandusky County where he was sentenced to 60 days in jail and five years probation, Egbert said. Carter was released from probation after serving two and a half years.

"By selling drugs in our community, he re-offended. That's the main reason he had to get a stiff sentence," Egbert said.

The food trailer and the truck confiscated at the fair were in the name of Carter's wife, June. Egbert said there was no proof she knew her husband was selling crack, and were ordered released to her.