December 18, 2013
12/19/13 Jamie Wacasey, 34, of Plymouth, was sentenced Wednesday, December 18 in Marshall Superior Court No. 1 to 10 years imprisonment for possessing methamphetamine within 1000 feet of a housing complex. In open court, Wacasey admitted that on April 30, 2013, he possessed methamphetamine within 1000 feet of the Garden Court housing complex. Court documents also noted numerous items associated with the manufacture of methamphetamine were found in the basement of the residence on West Washington Street in Plymouth.
Judge Robert O. Bowen approved an agreement reached between Chief Deputy Prosecuting Attorney Nelson Chipman and defense attorney Douglas N. Hite, which provided for a sentence at the Indiana Department of Corrections of 10 years of imprisonment for Class B felony possession of methamphetamine. Four years of the sentence was suspended, and purposeful incarceration was made a term. Also the sentence was ordered to be served consecutively to a proposed one year sentence yet to be imposed in Marshall Superior Court No. 2 on a motion to revoke Wacasey’s probation on a conviction of driving after being adjudged a habitual traffic violator.
The case began when in late March 2013 an inmate at the Marshall County Jail gave information about methamphetamine manufacturing taking place at the Washington Street address and identified Wacasey as a cook. Plymouth Police Officer John Weir began surveillance on the residence and noted numerous individuals known to be involved in drug consumption to frequent the residence for very brief periods of time.
On April 14, 2013, Sheriff’s Deputy Jonathon Bryant interviewed a confidential source who admitted he had manufactured methamphetamine at the Washington Street address with Wacasey, and they did so in the basement of the residence. Also, the pseudoephedrine logs for the persons visiting the residence, including Wacasey, revealed a pattern of purchasing consistent with a manufacturing operation.
Based on this information, Indiana State Police Officer Jason Faulstich drafted a search warrant that was approved by Judge Curtis Palmer on April 22, 2013 for the Washington Street residence. The search warrant was executed on April 30, 2013 and numerous methamphetamine manufacturing related items were found. Also found was a sophisticated hood venting system in the basement designed to expel gases from the manufacturing process through the furnace and out its chimney to the outside atmosphere.
In preparing the case for trial, and at his request, Wacasey submitted to a polygraph examination to support his position that he was unaware of the cooking operation in the basement of the house. It was determined he was being deceptive to the questions asked and the Indiana State Police polygraph operator concluded Wacasey failed the test. Based on this failure and its admissibility in a trial and the evidence derived from the search warrant, a plea agreement was reached acceptable to the State and Judge Bowen.
Chipman emphasized how each of the three law enforcement agencies— Sheriff’s Department, Plymouth Police and Indiana State Police—played fundamental roles in putting the case together resulting in a plea of guilty and a substantial period of incarceration. “Working separately this case would not have been completed; working together and anything is possible.”