Donald R. Bryant, Jr.

KOSCIUSKO — A Silver Lake man was sentenced in Kosciusko Circuit Court today, Nov. 5, after conspiring to commit trafficking with an inmate at the Kosciusko County Jail.

Donald Ray Bryant, Jr., 26, 106 N. High St., Silver Lake, was charged with conspiracy to commit trafficking with an inmate, a level 5 felony; and conspiracy to commit dealing in a schedule IV controlled substance, a level 6 felony.

On June 12, a Kosciusko County Court security officer escorted an inmate, Nicholas Silva, to Superior Court 3 for a hearing. The officer observed a courtroom visitor, Linda Bryant, throw an object to Silva, who was sitting in the jury box.

According to the affidavit of probable cause, the officer went to the jury box and retrieved a plastic bag wrapped in electrical tape. The bag contained a cell phone, a cell phone charger, two packages of rolling paper, marijuana and 10 pills identified as Alprazolam, a schedule IV controlled substance.

Linda Bryant admitted she brought the items into the jail for her son, Donald Bryant. Officers obtained copies of a phone call made from the jail by Donald Bryant on June 11. In the phone call, Donald Bryant told his mother that she will be tossing the items to a “young Mexican kid.”

“Donald is absolutely aware of the seriousness of his offense,” said Defense Attorney Karin McGrath. “He knows that he put his mother in a horrible situation. This is not the way he wants to continue his life, and he wants to prove that he is done with his criminal behavior.”

McGrath said that Donald Bryant has obtained a job and wishes to help support his daughter.

Judge Michael Reed sentenced Donald Bryant to three years in the Indiana Department of Corrections for conspiring to commit trafficking with an inmate. He was sentenced to one year in the Department of Corrections for conspiring to commit dealing in a schedule IV controlled substance.

These sentences are to be served consecutively to sentences imposed in three other cases. Reed recommended that Donald complete the Recovery while Incarcerated program and said he will consider modifying the sentence if Donald successfully completes the program.