Warsaw Man Receives Six-Year Sentence For Dealing Meth
By Liz Shepherd
InkFreeNews
WARSAW — A Warsaw man will serve six years in prison after officers found more than 16 grams of methamphetamine in his vehicle.
David Lee Hyde, 55, Warsaw, was charged with dealing methamphetamine, a level 4 felony. Two additional drug charges and a methamphetamine possession case were all dismissed as part of a plea agreement.
Hyde was sentenced in Kosciusko Circuit Court on Monday, Nov. 8.
On Jan. 16, 2020, an Indiana State Police trooper saw a speeding vehicle. The trooper pulled the vehicle over near the intersection of Armstrong Road and CR 300E in Leesburg. Hyde was identified as the vehicle’s driver.
According to court documents, the trooper noticed Hyde was exhibiting nervous behavior and requested a K-9 unit come to the scene. The K-9 made a positive alert for the odor of illegal drugs in the vehicle.
While searching Hyde’s person and the vehicle, officers found 16.2 grams of methamphetamine and drug paraphernalia.
One of the vehicle’s passengers told officers that Hyde was a dealer of illegal drugs and provided them with methamphetamine. Given the quality of methamphetamine, the way the drugs were packaged in individual portions and the passenger’s statement, officers determined that Hyde possessed methamphetamine with the intent to deliver it.
During court proceedings, Defense Attorney Austin Rovenstine said Hyde has taken a substantial amount of time to reflect on his decisions. He advocated for Kosciusko Circuit Court Judge Michael Reed to recommend Hyde for Recovery While Incarcerated as part of his prison sentence.
“I made a lot of mistakes and I’m here to change,” said Hyde.
Hyde also said he wants to participate in recovery programs upon his release from prison.
For dealing methamphetamine, Judge Reed sentenced Hyde to six years in the Indiana Department of Corrections. The sentence will be served consecutively to a methamphetamine possession case that Hyde was sentenced on in February 2020.
He has 283 days of jail time credit in the case; Judge Reed also recommended Hyde for RWI while in prison.