COLUMBUS — A Columbus man who admitted being a drug dealer during his arrest could face up to 16 years in prison.
In Bartholomew Circuit Court a few days before Christmas, Timothy K. Meadows, 40, entered a guilty plea to possession of methamphetamine as a Level 3 felony.
In exchange, Judge Kelly Benjamin is expected to consider dropping the more serious charge of dealing in methamphetamine as a Level 2 felony, which carries a maximum of 30 years in prison.
Meadows, who provided an address of 9753 Lee Court, is scheduled to be sentenced by Benjamin on Jan. 23 at 3 p.m.
The charges stem from an incident at 11th and California streets on July 17. That’s when Columbus Police officer Drake Maddix did a quick turnaround after seeing a car cross the intersection without fully stopping, according to a probable cause affidavit written by investigating detective Toby Combest.
But the officer did see the driver he was pulling over throw a large plastic bag out of the window of his car. That prompted Maddix to call for backup assistance that included Combest, the affidavit stated.
The detective discovered the large plastic bag that Meadows had tossed out. The contents tested positive for 75 grams of methamphetamine — an amount far more than a single user would carry, the affidavit stated.
After his arrest, Meadows admitted he had been dealing in methamphetamine, and that he threw the bag out of his car as Maddix was turning around to make the traffic stop, Combest wrote. The defendant said he believe the bag contained abut three ounces of methamphetamine.
After the probable cause affidavit was filed on July 23, Meadows appeared in court for his initial hearing on July 25.
While the advisory sentence for a Level 3 felony is nine years in prison, Meadows’ criminal history is likely to result in a longer sentence.
Court records dating back to 2006 show Meadows has been sentenced for felonies such as dealing in cocaine, two counts of auto theft, and multiple probation violations.
In August, Meadows’ request for a reduction in his bond was denied by the judge. On Thursday, local correction officials confirmed that Meadows was still housed in the Bartholomew County Jail.
