PRINCESS ANNE — A former convicted felon who for more than three years managed not to be sentenced for a misdemeanor drug charge apologized to the court and said he spent his time trying to become a regular citizen.

It was on Sept. 20, 2016 when Anthony T. Staten along with two other adults and two juveniles were found inside an apartment at Talons Square, Princess Anne, following a drug raid.

On April 17, 2017 he pleaded guilty to conspiracy to possess narcotics with the intent to distribute and was to be sentenced seven weeks later.

However, he missed his court date and over the next three years as court dates came and went, and bench warrants were issued and recalled, as the defense advised the state that Staten wanted to resolve this.

In between he managed to get a job with Calvert County government, works part-time for Wendy’s, registered to vote, has two kids, and “got himself together,” said public defender Arch McFadden.

Sentencing guidelines were for Staten to spend three to seven years in prison, but Deputy State’s Attorney Kendra Hayward on March 1 repeated the original recommended sentence of 12 months in jail.

Judge Daniel W. Powell — who was State’s Attorney in 2017 but not involved with this case — sentenced Staten to serve 10 years in prison with all but 12 months suspended.

Incarceration will start May 3 in hopes that by then work release can be arranged in Calvert County as the judge did not want Staten to lose his job.

He will be on supervised probation for three years and was ordered to pay $185 in court costs.

“You used the time wisely,” the judge said of this three-year hiatus, and Staten, now 31, said, “I was a lot younger.” Judge Powell told Staten to take out the photos of his children anytime he feels tempted to break the law again.

Staten in 2010 was convicted of attempted armed robbery related to a home invasion in Princess Anne and was ordered to serve 18 months of a six-year sentence.

Three years later he served 10 days for marijuana possession.