A South Bend woman who appeared in Marshall County Superior Court Number 1 on Wednesday was sentenced by agreement for three separate cases related to the sale of methamphetamine.
According to a news release provided by the Marshall County Prosecutor’s Office, 37-year-old Shannon Leake will serve 17 and half years of imprisonment at the Indiana Department of Correction followed by two and a half years of reporting probation in exchange for pleading guilty to one count of the Level 2 Felony of “conspiracy to commit dealing methamphetamine.”
The release also indicates that the new good time credit statute requires Leake to serve at least 85 percent of the executed portion of her sentence rather than 50 percent like it has been in the past. The sentence listed above will run 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. The release notes that Leake’s sentencing hearing was handled by Derek Jones who stood in for Richeson.
This case began in 2017 when the Marshall County Undercover Narcotics Investigation Team (UNIT) worked with a confidential informant to identify, record, and document drug transactions occurring in Marshall County. Undercover detectives worked in collaborations with the Prosecutor’s Office to finalize the charges against Leake.
According to the release, Leake reportedly admitted in open court that in September of 2017, while at a residence in 7700 block of Rose Road, she conspired with her co-defendants to sell 46.5 grams of meth to a confidential informant. Leake was apparently present when the sale occurred and participated in the delivery of methamphetamine as well as shared in the proceeds from the sale.
She also admitted in open court that in February of 2017, she dealt approximately one gram of meth to a confidential informant in the presence of an undercover detective.
Prosecuting Attorney Nelson Chipman said he was proud of the thorough work done by the law enforcement officials involved with the investigation. He commented that methamphetamine abuse accounts for a significant portion of drug abuse, overdoses and property crimes in countless communities so it is critically important to investigate and vigorously prosecute these cases.
Chipman added that “methamphetamine is a drug that destroys families and neighborhoods, let alone the individual abuser.” He said the prosecution of methamphetamine dealing in Marshall County is a priority in his office and will remain a top priority until it is clear to dealers that the activity will not be tolerated in this community.
