Mom who sold drugs faces up to 27 years in prison

A woman entered no contest pleas on Tuesday to felony counts of child abuse or neglect and sales of a controlled substance in a public park.

Janie Michelle Phillips, 35, also entered guilty pleas to child abuse or neglect and sales of a controlled substance charges.

District Judge Tod Young made sure that Phillips understood that the no contest charges were treated the same as a guilty plea in criminal court. Generally, defendants plead no contest when there’s a civil matter involved.

As part of a plea agreement, prosecutors will dismiss the 11 other charges Phillips was facing. She is not eligible for probation unless an evaluator determines she is not at high risk to reoffend.

Both sides are permitted to argue for any lawful sentence on April 26.

Phillips faces up to 27 years in prison under the charges. Ten years of that is for the drug sale in a park, which carries an enhancement and must be served consecutively.

Phillips isn’t contesting the charge that she allowed her child to help conduct a methamphetamine exchange during an April 26, 2023, youth soccer game. According to court documents, the child showed the drug buyer the jacket where the methamphetamine was as Phillips was serving as an assistant coach.

Phillips admitted Tuesday to selling drugs on May 5, 11, 25 and 26, 2023 out of her apartment where the children were.

She kept methamphetamine in the bathroom while her children slept and kept the psilocybin mushrooms in the freezer after she told the drug buyer the dog had gotten in them.

She was working for Douglas County Mental Health while conducting drug sales and even organized a mental health awareness scavenger hunt during May 2023 for Mental Health Awareness Month. There was no indication that Phillips dispensed mushrooms to clients of the organization in court documents.