Peabody man pleads guilty to dealing OxyContin from home

SALEM – A Peabody man who admitted dealing OxyContin from his Pierpont Street home in 2006 received a split sentence with probation.Mark D. Reuter, 56, of 11 Pierpont St., pleaded guilty to possession with the intent to distribute OxyContin and conspiracy to commit possession with the intent to distribute OxyContin, a derivative of Opium.He was sentenced to 30 months in the House of Corrections, with all but a year suspended and will be on probation for five years when he gets out of jail.His accomplice, Janet G. Bateman, 43, of 40 Mayflower Drive, Wenham, pleaded to conspiracy to commit possession with the intent to distribute OxyContin. She received a year of straight probation.Judge David A. Lowy followed the agreement reached by the prosecutor and defense lawyers.On the morning of March 26, 2006, police went to Reuter?s home after receiving a tip and seized 398 OxyContin pills of 80 mg, about 104 grams.Then on diverse dates between Oct. 1 and Oct. 31, 2006, Reuter and Bateman conspired by sending packages of money to Florida for payment for the OxyContin pills.Lowy stayed the sentence for Reuter until Dec. 27 so he can spend time with his 9-year-old son for Christmas at the recommendation of Assistant District Attorney Michael A. Patten who pointed out that neither Bateman nor Reuter had any prior criminal records.They were indicted by a grand jury in June 2006 and have been free since pending the outcome of the case.