WARSAW — A South Whitley man was sentenced in Kosciusko County Superior Court 1 on Thursday, Sept. 20, for his role in an attempted retaliation between drug dealers, according to the police report.

Jeffery John Walker, 23, 106 N. Maple St., South Whitley, was initially charged with dealing and possessing marijuana as well as armed robbery, but pleaded guilty to a level 5 felony of conspiracy to commit intimidation.

Jeffery John Walker

According to police, Walker was part of a group of three men who, on Oct. 31, 2017, were reported walking down a sidewalk carrying a firearm. Callers also reported the group was traveling in a car with loud exhaust. Police pulled over the trio on East Winona Avenue.

Inside the vehicle police found an AR-style rifle, which belonged to David Mefford of South Whitley. A search of Walker turned up quantities of marijuana that had been, according to police, packaged for sale. Walker said he purchased the marijuana in Fort Wayne and was supposed to sell it in Warsaw. Mefford and Walker were riding in a vehicle driven by Nathan Dollar of Columbia City.

Dollar told police that a friend of Mefford had been beaten and robbed of his marijuana and that Mefford was planning to retaliate against the drug dealers. Police interviewed the initial robbery victim who told them that Mefford planned the retaliation on his own and that Mefford was always looking out for him.

At Walker’s sentencing hearing, Judge David Cates asked Prosecutor Brad Voelz if the case involved any restitution to victims.

“The victims in this case are all criminals who were engaged in criminal activity, so we really don’t care what they think,” said Voelz. Voelz added that Walker had not previously been in much trouble and that he might have succumbed to a lack of maturity and wisdom.

“Mr. Walker is a young man without a lot of criminal history,” Voelz said.

Walker’s attorney, J.S. Tipton, said Walker began to have second thoughts on robbing the drug dealers when he realized he would be part of a group carrying a firearm.

“They quickly turned around and abandoned their stupid plan,” Tipton said. According to the affidavit of probable cause, witnesses said it was Walker who was carrying the rifle.

“This one leaves you shaking your head,” Tipton said.

Tipton campaigned for a sentence that could keep Walker from spending his term behind bars and said that substance abuse is likely a mitigating factor. “He needs to get some help,” Tipton said. “I hope we have an opportunity to show you he can be productive.”

Walker didn’t have much to say, other than stressing that he wants to put the incident behind him.

“I’m just ready to move forward if I’m given the opportunity,” Walker said.

Cates sentenced Walker to three years with the Indiana Department of Corrections and suspended one year of the sentence in favor of probation. For the two years to serve, Cates said Walker could apply for work release and if qualified, could serve the sentence that way instead of behind bars. Walker was given three days credit for time served.

Cates suggested that marijuana use played a role in the events that got Walker arrested in the first place.

“Mr. Walker, marijuana use is a crime,” Cates said. “Dealing marijuana is a crime. I’m expecting that moving forward you will not commit any additional crimes.”