Akashia Garber

WARSAW — A Warsaw woman was sentenced in Kosciusko Circuit Court Monday, April 2, after she was found in possession of methamphetamine during a traffic stop. 

Akashia Garber, 25, 2886 S. Woodland Trail, Warsaw, was found guilty of possession of methamphetamine, a level 6 felony; possession of paraphernalia, a class C misdemeanor; and failure to appear, a level 6 felony. 

According to the affidavit of probable cause, on Saturday, March 11, 2017, an officer with the Warsaw Police Department witnessed a vehicle traveling on North Detroit Street with only one working headlight. The officer conducted a traffic stop and identified the front seat passenger as Garber.

The officer was notified that the male driver had an active arrest warrant out of Virginia. As the officer talked to the occupants of the vehicle, an officer with the Kosciusko County Sheriff’s Department had his K9 partner do an outer air search on the vehicle. The K9 responded positive for the presence of illegal narcotics inside the vehicle.

According to the affidavit of probable cause, a small box was located inside the vehicle. The box contained a glass smoking pipe, a plastic bag of methamphetamine, three cut straws, a hollowed out pen and three hydrocodone pills. On the front passenger floorboard was a grey bag. Inside the bag, officers discovered Garber’s birth certificate and four cut straws with methamphetamine residue.

Officers searched the male driver and also discovered a small plastic bag containing memory cards and methamphetamine. The male admitted that the box and everything in it belonged to him. Garber admitted that the bag and everything in it belonged to her. Garber further admitted to using methamphetamine earlier in the day.

For the possession of methamphetamine charge, Judge Michael Reed sentenced Garber to two and a half years in the Kosciusko County Jail. Garber was sentenced to sixty days in the Kosciusko County Jail for the possession of paraphernalia charge. For the charge of failure to appear, Reed sentenced Garber to two and a half years in the Kosciusko County Jail. Reed ordered the sentences to be served concurrently. Garber was given jail time credit of 53 days and ordered to pay a $100 fine. Reed ordered the balance of the sentence to be served on formal probation.