La Plata, MD – A former Iraqi war veteran who stole and forged checks from his employer to feed his drug habit will be spending a considerable amount of time in jail following a sentence by Charles County Circuit Court Judge Amy J. Bragunier Tuesday, Oct. 28.

Timothy James Boyd Jr., 33 of Waldorf, was sentenced to 18 months and 10 years to be served concurrently for forgery and theft under $1,000.

Charles County Assistant State’s Attorney Jeremy B. Widder told the court that Boyd “keeps using and reoffending, stealing significant amounts of money. We have given him every opportunity to do the right thing, but he has no track record of being able to stop stealing and to stop taking drugs. At a certain point, we have to ask the court to punish him for what he’s done.”

“His drug abuse started in the military and played a role in his less-than-honorable discharge,” Public Defender Michelle Harewood said. “Because of that, they [military] cannot take him into a program. He is trying to make good faith payments. He understands he has to pay restitution and he has to get rid of his addiction. That is never easy,” she told the court.

Harewood said that Boyd is seeking to get into a vet program that addresses not only drug addiction but Post Traumatic Stress Disorder as well.

“It’s not just drug abuse,” she said.

Boyd apologized to his former employers, Adirondack Tree Experts and told the court he is dealing with stress and anxiety, which triggered his dependence on drugs.

“Honestly, I don’t want to go back to DOC,” he said. “I get higher there than I can anywhere else. I would like to go into a program to get treatment. I’ve got four kids who deserve a father. I’m not a violent person,” the ex-marine said.

“What he did was completely out of character,” Harewood said. “He is a good man with a good heart. He just made bad decisions.”

Bragunier agreed that Boyd needed treatment and gave him a year to get help before his sentence begins. The 18-month sentence and the 10-year sentence will run concurrently and would commence one year from his sentencing date, which means he would report Oct. 28, 2015 once treatment is finished.

She said Boyd still needs to pay restitution.

“It’s on him,” Widder said.

Contact Joseph Norris at joe.norris@thebaynet.com