Morales Sentenced To Nine Years At Indiana Department Of Corrections
KOSCIUSKO — A Winona Lake man was sentenced in Kosciusko County Circuit Court Monday, Jan. 21, on charges related to three different cases.
Diego Estuardo Morales, 25, 1202 Wooster Road 68, Winona Lake, pleaded guilty to a total of seven charges.
In case F075, Morales was found guilty of neglect of a dependent and failure to appear, both level 6 felonies. In case F369, Morales pleaded guilty to dealing in a narcotic drug, a level 5 felony; domestic battery, a level 6 felony; possession of paraphernalia, a class C misdemeanor; and failure to appear, a level 6 felony. In case F516, Morales was found guilty of dealing in a narcotic drug, a level 5 felony.
On April 18, 2018, officers responded to a report of domestic battery. According to the affidavit of probable cause, the homeowner answered the door and invited the officers inside. Morales’ girlfriend told officers that Morales was in a bedroom.
Officers located Morales, who attempted to escape out a back window with a gray safe, jumping back inside the residence when he saw officers.Officers discovered a glass smoking device with a white residue that tested positive for methamphetamine, hollow tubes, razor blades, a plate and mirror with residue on them, small plastic baggies, scales with residue, a glass smoking device and a marijuana pipe.
A search warrant was obtained for the residence. Inside the safe, officers found a plastic bag that contained 9.2 grams of morphine sulfate pills, a schedule II narcotic drug. They also found a plastic bag that field tested positive for methamphetamine, and a plastic bag that field tested positive for heroin.
Morales’ girlfriend stated that she and Morales got into an argument and that Morales grabbed her by the hair and yanked her, causing her to fall to the floor and strike her head on the kitchen cabinets. Officers observed a visible bruise on the female’s left temple.
In court today, Morales told Judge Michael Reed, “I admit to my problem and I need help.”
In case F075, for the charge of neglect of a dependent, Reed sentenced Morales to one year at the Indiana Department of Corrections. For the charge of failure to appear, Morales received a sentence of one year at IDOC. Those sentences were ordered to be served consecutively, as well as consecutive to the sentences imposed in the other two cases. Morales was given six days of jail time credit.
In the second case, F369, for the charge of dealing in a narcotic drug, Morales received a sentence of three years at IDOC; for the domestic battery charge, Reed sentenced Morales to one year at IDOC; for the possession of paraphernalia charge, Morales was sentenced to 60 days in the Kosciusko County Jail; and for the failure to appear charge, Morales was ordered to serve one year in IDOC. Reed ordered that the sentences in the first three charges of this case be served concurrently but consecutive to the sentence in the final charge. Morales received three days of jail time credit.
In the final case, F516, for the charge of dealing in a narcotic drug, Morales received a sentence of three years at IDOC. This sentence was ordered to be served consecutive to sentences in the other two cases. Reed ordered that two years of the sentence be suspended and served on formal probation. Morales was given 230 days of jail time credit in this case.
“That’s basically nine years,” said Reed.
Morales was ordered to pay court fees and a drug interdiction fee. He was also ordered to complete a substance abuse evaluation and an anger management evaluation, as well as any recommended treatment.
Reed said he had no objection to Morales participating in a Recovery While Incarcerated Program, and ordered that Morales use all reasonable measures to obtain his GED while at IDOC.