A local man arrested by the Joint Narcotics Enforcement Team last October has been sentenced to 15 years in prison.
Bartholomew Superior Court 1 Judge Jim Worton on Tuesday sentenced Jeremy Streeval, 32, of Edinburgh, after Streeval agreed to plead guilty to one felony count of possession of methamphetamine as part of a plea bargain.
The agreement, reached Jan. 23, called for dismissal of other charges, including dealing in methamphetamine in excess of 10 grams, dealing in methamphetamine, two counts of dealing in a narcotic drug, theft with a prior conviction and being a habitual offender.
The Level 3 felony carries a potential sentence of three to 16 years in prison, as well as a fine of to $10,000.
The 15-year sentence for Streeval with the Indiana Department of Correction is one year less than the state maximum.
None of the sentence was converted to probation, and the judge did not seek purposeful incarceration, which would have provided drug-treatment in prison, according to the sentencing order.
In explaining his sentence, Worton listed a number of aggravating circumstances which resulted in a longer sentence. They included Streeval’s extensive criminal history, several prior violations of probation and an unwillingness to take advantage of earlier opportunities for drug treatment.
The judge said he could see no mitigating circumstances in the case that would have prompted him to give a lighter sentence.
Streeval was arrested Oct. 5, 2017 on multiple drug-related counts after the Joint Narcotics Enforcement Team served a search warrant in the 4100 block of County Road 500N, southwest of Taylorsville.
Police said there had been multiple complaints about the residence, including an unusual amount of traffic going in and out of the home and calls about shots being fired, police said. Several theft and burglary investigations led police to the home, they said.
During a search of the home, investigators found a large number of stolen items, including two vehicles, an all-terrain vehicle, a go-kart, a handgun, large amounts of electronics, a television, lawn equipment and tools.
New Indiana rules regarding sentencing of Level 3 felonies such as possession of methamphetamine will result in Streeval being required to serve 75 percent of the 15-year sentence, rather than just half that is allowed under Indiana’s good-time rule of one-day served, one-day off a sentence, Bartholomew County Prosecutor Bill Nash said.
Second person in arrest
Also arrested Oct. 5 when Streeval was taken into custody was Debin Gabbard, 27, Columbus, who was charged last week with dealing in methamphetamine, felony trafficking with an inmate, possession of a narcotic drug and possession of methamphetamine.
Those charges are in addition to ones she faced in the Oct. 5 search warrant arrest, including dealing and possession of methamphetamine in excess of 10 grams and two counts of dealing in a narcotic drug.
Gabbard is accused of smuggling heroin and methamphetamine into the Bartholomew County Jail after her Oct. 5 arrest, and giving the methamphetamine to another inmate, Mary L. Snyder, 19, Columbus, court documents state.
Snyder, who is charged with felony possession of methamphetamine, is accused of then giving the methamphetamine to Angela Blair, 42, Elizabethtown, who was incarcerated with her in the medical wing, court documents state. Blair overdosed and died from methamphetamine intoxication Oct. 7 in the jail, court records state.
Snyder is incarcerated at Rockville Correctional facility, where she is serving time on an unrelated charge, Indiana State Police said. Gabbard is incarcerated in the county jail, jail officials said.
