By Liz Shepherd
InkFreeNews

Braxton Douglas Sechrist

WARSAW — An Etna Green man with a prior drug dealing conviction will serve three years in prison after a traffic stop resulted in the discovery of methamphetamine.

Braxton Douglas Sechrist, 28, 8742 W. 600N, Etna Green, was charged with possession of methamphetamine, a level 5 felony; and failure to appear, a level 6 felony. Four additional criminal charges, as well as a second methamphetamine possession case, were all dismissed as part of a plea agreement.

Sechrist was sentenced in Kosciusko Circuit Court on Monday, April 25.

On June 8, 2021, an officer with the NET43 Drug Task Force received a report about a suspicious vehicle parked at a business in Warsaw. The officer noticed the vehicle’s driver fail to signal a turn, resulting in a traffic stop. The driver was later identified as Sechrist.

According to court documents, Sechrist was exhibiting nervous behavior at the scene. A K9 unit alerted to illegal drugs in the vehicle. Upon searching the vehicle, officers discovered two containers that contained a white residue that tested positive for methamphetamine.

One officer went to the business where the vehicle had been parked and found a cigarette pack containing a plastic bag of methamphetamine.

Sechrist was convicted of dealing methamphetamine in 2018.

During court proceedings, Defense Attorney Austin Rovenstine said he hates seeing people get prison sentences for any type of drug possession case. He asked Kosciusko Circuit Court Judge Michael Reed to consider suspending a prison commitment, noting that the county’s work release program would provide Sechrist with good structure.

“Despite his history, he is young…salvageable,” said Rovenstine. “Prison is not the best way to rehabilitate.”

Judge Reed noted that Sechrist did not help the county’s probation department with assembling a pre-sentence investigation report prior to sentencing.

“No one wants to send anybody to prison, but you haven’t helped yourself,” said Judge Reed. “You’re running from this and you need to address it head-on.”

For methamphetamine possession, Judge Reed sentenced Sechrist to 2 1/2 years in the Indiana Department of Correction. He also received a six-month sentence at DoC for failure to appear. Both counts will be served consecutively. Sechrist has 18 days of jail time credit, with good time credit as calculated.

Judge Reed also recommended Sechrist for Recovery While Incarcerated as part of his prison sentence.