Post Falls man sentenced to 16 years for trafficking

A Post Falls man was sentenced Thursday to serve up to 16 years in state prison for trafficking in heroin, possession of methamphetamine, possession of morphine, possession of marijuana and possession of drug paraphernalia.

Tracy L. Workman, 46, pleaded guilty to the charges and was sentenced by District Judge Richard Christensen, who ordered that the first five years of the sentence would be fixed, and the remaining 11 years would be indeterminate.

The offenses are related to Jan. 24 and Feb. 6 deliveries of heroin. Workman was found to have methamphetamine, morphine, marijuana and drug paraphernalia in his backpack when arrested. Workman's criminal history includes a prior felony conviction in 2011 for being an accessory to a felony.

Prosecuting Attorney Barry McHugh praised the investigative work of the North Idaho Violent Crimes Task Force, and Deputy Prosecuting Attorney David Robins, who prosecuted the case.

McHugh noted that "these convictions show a significant level of distribution of heroin and the related possession of other dangerous drugs. The fixed term guarantees that Mr. Workman will not be able to put himself or the community in danger for years, during which time he will be evaluated by the Department of Corrections to determine whether he is an appropriate candidate for parole, or whether he continues to be a risk to the public and needs to spend the rest of his term in prison."