By FRANK LEWIS

PDT Staff Writer

Both sides have rested in the trial of three area residents charged by federal authorities with operating an illegal pain clinic in Waverly.

Tuesday, the defense rested its case against Nancy Sadler, 48, owner of the clinic and her husband, Lester “Ape” Sadler, 56, both of West Portsmouth; and Sandy Wells, 53, of South Shore, Ky., in the courtroom of Judge Sandra Beckwith in U.S. District Court in Cincinnati.

A transaction was filed Tuesday and entered Wednesday morning, in which each defendant moved for acquittal. Beckwith said she would take the motions under submission, but the trial continued on Wednesday.

Other transactions were that a juror was excused because of his wife’s illness, and each defendant was advised by the court of his or her right to testify — both declined.

After the defense rested, a charge conference was held in which both sides talked about proposed jury instructions. The next step was for closing arguments to be made, and it is not known whether that happened on Wednesday.

At the end of April the U.S. Attorney’s Office-Southern District of Ohio, said Columbus physician Brenda Banks, also a defendant in the case, changed her plea to guilty and agreed to help in the prosecution of others, in a deal struck with the government on a charge of acquiring or possessing a controlled substance by deception.

Banks, 58, of Columbus became the third defendant in the Sadler pain clinic trial to change her plea on Monday in Federal Court in Cincinnati. Two others, James Sadler, 81, of West Portsmouth and Lisa Clevenger, 49 of Stoutsville had both previously changed their pleas to guilty and, like Banks, are awaiting sentencing.

Frank Lewis may be reached at 740-353-3101, ext. 232, or at flewis@heartlandpublications.com.