San Tan Valley man sentenced to 8 years for drug, weapons offenses

(FLORENCE, AZ) - A San Tan Valley man has been sentenced to nearly a decade in prison for multiple drug and weapons offenses.

On April 24th, 2023, Pinal County Superior Court Judge Steven Fuller sentenced Michael Phillips, 51, to eight years in the Arizona Department of Corrections.

In January, a jury found Phillips guilty of six felony offenses, including Possession of a Narcotic Drug for Sale exceeding the threshold, a Class Two Felony; Misconduct Involving Weapons during a drug offense, a Class Four Felony; and Use of Wire or Electronic Communication in a drug related transaction, a Class Four Felony.

On July 30, 2021, at approximately 1:00 am, Pinal County Sheriff’s Office deputies conducted a traffic stop on a Dodge Durango driven by Michael Phillips. Phillips appeared nervous. After a deputy found a baggie of methamphetamine in the front seat passenger’s pocket, they conducted a search of the vehicle. During the search, the deputy discovered a camera bag on the front passenger’s side floorboard. He found a baggie containing approximately 40 grams of methamphetamine inside the camera bag, three baggies containing a total of 240 fentanyl pills, a baggie with powder fentanyl, a scale, methamphetamine pipes, and additional small empty baggies. The deputy located a firearm between the driver’s seat and the center console. He also searched a blue Nintendo bag that he found in the backseat. It contained foil with burnt residue and a baggie containing powder fentanyl. The deputy seized numerous cell phones from the vehicle. The data from these phones included numerous drug-related conversations.