By Liz Shepherd
InkFreeNews

Jason P. Spriggs

WARSAW — A Warsaw man will serve five years in prison on two drug cases, one of which involved an attempt to bring drugs into the Kosciusko County Jail.

In the first case, Jason P. Spriggs, 40, Warsaw, was charged with possession of methamphetamine, a level 6 felony; and false informing, a class B misdemeanor. He was also charged with trafficking with an inmate, a level 5 felony, in a second case. Two additional drug possession cases were both dismissed as part of a plea agreement.

Spriggs was sentenced in Kosciusko Circuit Court on Monday, Aug. 15.

On Nov. 21, 2018, a Winona Lake Police officer pulled a vehicle over, as its driver failed to properly signal before making a turn. A passenger in the vehicle, later identified as Spriggs, gave officers a false name since he had a warrant for his arrest at the time.

According to court documents, a K9 unit at the scene alerted to illegal drugs in the vehicle. Officers found a contact lens case containing methamphetamine on Spriggs’ person. Spriggs also told officers that he had just swallowed three grams of methamphetamine.

On Oct. 11, 2021, an Indiana State trooper was contacted by the Kosciusko County Jail commander, who requested the trooper complete an investigation for trafficking with an inmate at KCJ.

On Oct. 12, 2021, the KCJ commander provided the trooper with information that jail officers had compiled regarding the attempted trafficking investigation. Evidence included a plastic bag containing chewing tobacco pouches, two orange-colored pills and digital video and audio recordings.

The jail commander advised that on Oct. 10, 2021, a jail officer escorted an inmate, who was a KCJ trustee, from the jail to take trash to a dumpster outside of KCJ. The trustee retrieved an item from the dumpster and placed it in his jail uniform pocket. According to court documents, the jail officer waited until the trustee was close to him and retrieved the item from the trustee’s pocket.

The package retrieved from the dumpster contained chewing tobacco pouches and two pills identified as a controlled substance.

Surveillance video and jail phone calls of the incident were provided to the Indiana State trooper. Spriggs made phone calls to Julie A. Pierce, Warsaw, in which he instructed Pierce on how to package the contraband and put it on a trash dumpster outside of the jail.

Video footage showed Pierce walking up to the jail’s trash dumpster on Oct. 6, 2021; on Oct. 9, 2021, footage showed Pierce walking up to the trash dumpster and placing a package into the dumpster’s rails.

The jail trustee who retrieved the package told officers that Spriggs told him where the package was going to be and that he picked the package up and placed it in his pocket. The trustee said he knew the package would contain chewing tobacco.

Pierce was sentenced for attempted trafficking with an inmate in February 2022. She received a three-year KCJ sentence, with two years suspended on probation.

During court proceedings, Spriggs said he took full ownership for his actions and requested some form of alternative sentencing.

Chief Deputy Prosecuting Attorney Brad Voelz said KCJ staff work diligently to find drugs on incoming inmates before they make their way into the building.

Defense Attorney Scott Reust told Kosciusko Circuit Court Judge Michael Reed that Spriggs has dealt with substance abuse problems for quite some time.

“I like him and I don’t say that about all of my clients,” said Reust. “He needs help and I hope he gets it.”

For trafficking with an inmate, Judge Reed sentenced Spriggs to four years in the Indiana Department of Correction. Spriggs also received a one-year prison sentence for methamphetamine possession and six months in the county jail for false informing. The six-month KCJ sentence was suspended on probation. All three counts will be served consecutively to each other and consecutively to an additional criminal case.

In total, Spriggs will serve five years in prison and six months on probation.