Shannon Leake, 37, of South Bend, was sentenced by agreement on August 8, in Marshall Superior Court Number One. Leake’s sentence will be for three separate cases relating to the sale of methamphetamine. It also reflects her extensive prior criminal history. Leake will serve 17 and a half years imprisonment at the Indiana Department of Correction followed by 2 and a half years of reporting probation in exchange for pleading guilty to one count of Level 2 Conspiracy to Commit Dealing Methamphetamine. The new good time credit statute requires Leake to serve at least 85% of the executed portion of her sentence, instead of the previous 50%. That sentence will be concurrent to a guilty plea to one count of Dealing Methamphetamine as a Level 4 felony. Leake’s lower Level 5 case was dismissed in exchange for her admission of guilt. Judge Robert O. Bowen approved the agreement between Chief Deputy Prosecuting Attorney Tami Napier and defense attorney Burke Richeson. Leake’s sentencing hearing was handled by Derek Jones who stood in for Burke Richeson.
In open court, Leake admitted that in September of 2017 at 7743 Rose Road she conspired with her codefendants to sell 46.5 grams of methamphetamine to a confidential informant. Leake was present when the sale occurred and participated in the delivery of methamphetamine as well as shared in the proceeds from the sale.
Additionally, in open court, Leake admitted that in February of 2017 in LaPaz she dealt approximately one gram of methamphetamine to a confidential informant in the presence of an undercover detective.
The case began in 2017 when the Marshall County Undercover Narcotics Investigative Team worked with a confidential informant to identify, record and document drug transactions occurring in Marshall County.
Prosecuting Attorney Nelson Chipman was pleased with the thorough work of the police officers involved in the investigation. Undercover detectives worked in collaboration with the Prosecutor’s Office to finalize the charges against Leake. Chipman stated that methamphetamine abuse accounts for a significant amount of drug abuse, overdoses and property crimes in our communities so it is critically important to investigate and vigorously prosecute cases.
“Methamphetamine is a drug that destroys families, neighborhoods, let alone the individual user. The prosecution of methamphetamine dealing in Marshall County is a priority in my office and will remain so until it is clear to dealers that it will simply not be tolerated in our community and they need to go elsewhere.”
