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GRANTS PASS Heroin at root of sad tale of crime and death in Grants Pass Comment By Melissa McRobbie Grants Pass Daily Courier MailTribune.com By Melissa McRobbie Grants Pass Daily Courier Posted Mar. 13, 2015 at 3:46 PM By Melissa McRobbie Grants Pass Daily Courier Posted Mar. 13, 2015 at 3:46 PM » Social News A man's sentencing in a Josephine County counterfeiting case on Thursday turned into a sad commentary on the local heroin problem and the tragedies it has created. Defense attorney Laurie Norman said heroin addiction was the driving force behind the actions of her client, 33-year-old Justin Kingstrom, who was sentenced by Circuit Court Judge Pat Wolke to four years in prison after pleading guilty to money laundering, possession of a forgery device, three counts of first-degree forgery and heroin possession. "It was the heroin that caused it, just a string of disaster and death," Norman said. The death she was referring to was that of 25-year-old Marni Wilder, Kingstrom's girlfriend and co-defendant, who died of a drug overdose in Redding, Calif., over the holidays in 2013. The official cause of her death was found to be acute methamphetamine intoxication, but family members said she also struggled with heroin addiction. Wilder's grandmother, Grants Pass business owner Michelle Martin, spoke at Kingstrom's sentencing, recounting how she got the news of Marni's overdose through a phone call on Christmas Eve. "Marni was not just my granddaughter — she was such a part of my life," Martin said, her voice quavering as she read from a written statement. "I loved her and helped raise her for all her childhood life. There is now a big hole in my heart from this loss." Martin placed blame on Kingstrom, who was with her granddaughter when she overdosed. He is not facing any criminal charges for the death. Norman, who was also Wilder's attorney before she died, called Wilder a "beautiful young woman." "I know Mr. Kingstrom feels just terribly about the entire situation," she said. Kingstrom was given the chance to speak at the hearing but declined. He and Wilder were charged in the counterfeiting case after Martin went to the Grants Pass home where they were staying and saw evidence that they were creating phony currency. She notified Grants Pass police, who were already looking into reports of local businesses receiving counterfeit cash, deputy prosecutor Lisa Turner said at the hearing. Court documents indicate that the businesses included Wendy's, Casablanca Coffee and Grill, Dairy Queen and Dutch Bros. Martin has said her granddaughter had been trying to get clean. Heroin is notoriously addictive, and has been showing up more in Josephine County and all over the country in recent years as people who have become hooked on prescription pain pills such as OxyContin find that heroin can provide a stronger and cheaper high. Before handing down Kingstrom's sentence, Judge Wolke thanked Martin for her statement. "This heroin is a horrible, horrible problem here," he said. He told Martin, "It sounds like you're going to be involved in trying to do something about that. So, thank you for that." Martin is on a committee that is working toward opening a treatment center for heroin addiction in Grants Pass. The center would have the goal of weaning users off of the drug using methadone and Suboxone while helping them develop the tools to live productive, drug-free lives. By Melissa McRobbie Grants Pass Daily Courier MailTribune.com By Melissa McRobbie Grants Pass Daily Courier Posted Mar. 13, 2015 at 3:46 PM » Comment or view comments Reader Reaction » STAY INFORMED Email NewsLetter Sign Up Today Sign up for our newsletter and have the top headlines from your community delivered right to your inbox. Southern Oregon Directory Featured Businesses Loading... 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