Warsaw Woman Receives Probation For Drug Offenses
WARSAW — A Warsaw woman could avoid jail time, aside from the few days she’s already served in jail, stemming from an incident in 2017, where a large quantity of drugs and paraphernalia were found at her residence.
Tina Lynn Prater, 51, 1022 E. Market St., Warsaw, was initially charged with dealing methamphetamine, a level 4 felony; possession of methamphetamine, a level 6 felony; maintaining a common nuisance, a level 6 felony; assisting a criminal, a level 6 felony and possession of paraphernalia, a class C misdemeanor.
In November 2017, police arrived at Prater’s residence to serve an arrest warrant for a woman wanted on two charges. While in the residence, police reported finding a glass smoking device, cut straws, crushed powders and a mirror with a white powdery residue. The officers obtained a search warrant and additionally found cash, three smoking bongs, two digital scales, a homemade smoking device, a leather case with white residue, a glass plate with white residue, a plastic baggie containing a crystal substance, four bags containing a white residue and another containing a brown substance, a drug ledger, a glass container with clear crystal substance and razor blade with white residue. Testing showed the substances to be heroin and methamphetamine, the police reported. Police also reported learning of conversations that indicated Prater was involved in the selling of methamphetamine.
Prater was permitted to make a plea agreement during a plea hearing on Oct. 15. In that agreement, Prater agreed to plead guilty on the charge of maintaining a common nuisance. In Kosciusko Circuit Court on Monday, Nov. 19, Judge Michael Reed accepted the agreement and sentenced Prater to one year in the Kosciusko County Jail, but suspended the sentence in favor of probation. Prater was given eight days of jail time credit.
Reed reminded Prater that she should still serve the jail sentence if she failed to follow strict probation guidelines.
“One way to ensure you don’t is to follow your rules of probation,” he told Prater.