Turlock men convicted of possessing meth for sale, guns

Two Turlock men have been convicted of illegally possessing guns and methamphetamine for sale, prosecutors said.

Frank Lee Cromer, 52, on April 24 was convicted of two felony counts of possessing a controlled substance for sales, one count of being a felon in possession of a gun and one count of possessing a short-barreled shotgun.

Claude Stanley Smith, 66, was convicted of one count of possessin a controlled substance for sales and one count of being a felon in possession of a gun. Deputy District Attorney Jeffrey Darnell prosecuted the case against both defendants.

On May 14, Turlock police served a search warrant at a home in the 500 block of Wolfe Avenue. Investigators found a safe inside the house that contained half of a pound of meth, a loaded revolver and an disclosed substantial amount of cash, according to the Stanislaus County District Attorney’s Office.

Prosecutors said the defendants each had a key to the safe. The investigators also found a trunk with an undisclosed substantial amount of cash, along with a loaded revolver and a short-barreled shotgun discovered under cushions of a couch.

On Oct. 22, Turlock police searched Cromer’s home and found a digital weight scale and some keys. Prosecutors said investigators then searched a storage shed and found another safe that was opened with one of Cromer’s keys. The investigators found 18 baggies of meth; each had about ounce of meth.

Superior Court Judge Dawna Reeves sentenced Cromer 10 years in prison. Smith is scheduled to be formally sentenced June 10 to two years in prison.

This story was originally published May 1, 2015 at 10:42 AM with the headline "Turlock men convicted of possessing meth for sale, guns."