Kalin Hunsaker, 28, of Rochester, was sentenced May 21 in Marshall Superior Court Number 1 to 20 years imprisonment for conspiracy to deal in methamphetamine. A charge of Habitual Offender was dismissed, along with a separate forgery case, in exchange for the plea of guilty. Sentencing was left up to Judge Robert O. Bowen.
Prosecuting Attorney Nelson Chipman announced Judge Bowen sentenced Hunsaker to the maximum allowed under the law for conspiracy to deal methamphetamine. Judge Bowen made it clear his sentence was based on Hunsaker’s extensive criminal history. Chipman said, “As an adult, Mr. Hunsaker has accumulated a total of five misdemeanor convictions and twelve felony convictions. Once completing previous sentences in jail or prison, Mr. Hunsaker has been placed on probation four different times only to violate the terms and having the court revoke his probation four times.”
In addition, Chipman noted that once charged in this case, Mr. Hunsaker absconded from the area and had to be tracked down in Texas to return here and face justice.
This case started on October 21, 2012 when Officer Ryan Hollopeter of the Marshall County Police Department conducted surveillance on a home located in the 5000 block of 18th Road near Argos. Later, on December 27, 2012 and Officer Hollopeter arranged for an undercover informant to buy methamphetamine from a resident of the house on 18th Road. The informant was equipped with electronic devices and marked money. Hunsaker assisted in arranging the sale of the methamphetamine and took some of the product.
Judge Robert O. Bowen approved an agreement reached between Chief Deputy Prosecuting Attorney Tami Napier and defense attorney Joseph R. Morris, which provided for a plea of guilty on Count II of the information charging Conspiracy to Deal Methamphetamine, a Class B felony. The maximum sentence available under the law for a Class B felony is 20 years imprisonment. After rejecting a previous plea agreement, this agreement allowed for Judge Bowen to decide the sentence, and after hearing evidence and reviewing Hunsaker’s previous record, Bowen handed down the maximum sentence under the law. Bowen will allow Hunsaker to petition for purposeful incarceration after he has served a minimum of six years.
Chipman noted, “although this case is from two and a half years ago and Mr. Hunsaker has been in our jail for 395 days as of today, we are not letting up on aggravated meth cases. We would have finished this case much sooner had he not run off to Texas to hide. This is an example though of excellent police work, the persistence of law enforcement to find a fugitive, and the long arm of Marshall County reaching out to do justice.”
