Jerald A. Standifer, 31, of Bremen, was sentenced April 2, 2015 in Marshall Superior Court No. 1 to 9 years imprisonment for manufacturing methamphetamine. In open court, Standifer admitted that on October 8, 2014, he was operating a motor vehicle in which two one pot meth labs were found, along with all of the various ingredients necessary to make methamphetamine. Three other persons in the vehicle were arrested along with Standifer.
Judge Robert O. Bowen approved an agreement reached between Chief Deputy Prosecuting Attorney Tami Napier and defense attorney Tom A. Black, which provided for a plea of guilty to the manufacturing of methamphetamine charge and all remaining counts were dismissed, including conspiracy to manufacture, possession of precursors of methamphetamine, and to misdemeanor traffic offenses including driving while suspended and without ever having received a license. A pending motion to revoke a previous probation was also dismissed.
Prosecuting Attorney Nelson Chipman noted that this is one of the first cases we have handled dealing with the change in the criminal code creating levels and modifying the prison terms. “As a Level 3 felony, the advisory sentence was reduced on manufacturing to 9 years of imprisonment. But at the same time the legislature modified the good time credit statute from day for day to seventy-five percent. Thus, Mr. Standifer’s sentence for actual service if he behaves himself is 6.75 years, instead of the old system of 5 years on an advisory sentence.”
The case began with Marshall County Sheriff’s Deputy Brandon Cooper on routine patrol at approximately 1:44 a.m. on October 8, 2014 on US 31 near US 30. Cooper observed a vehicle without proper illumination of the license plate and he stopped the vehicle. Four individuals were inside the car with Standifer driving. When asked for a license, Standifer gave Cooper a bank card and eventually admitted he did not have a license. Cooper noticed the Standifer was wearing a glove on one hand.
Cooper could then see in plain view cold packs, a bag of rock salt, and a plastic bottle with white residue that he knew from his training and experience to be a one pot meth lab. An eventual search of the vehicle and the occupants revealed virtually all of the necessary ingredients to manufacture methamphetamine.
Chipman expressed his gratitude to Deputy Cooper for his aggressive law enforcement action that night that revealed solid evidence of methamphetamine manufacture.
