Staff Report

WARSAW — A Claypool man was sentenced to 13 years in prison for charges stemming from three separate cases.

Codie Lee Pierce

On Wednesday, Sept. 14, in Kosciusko County Circuit Court, Codie Lee Pierce, 30, 824 E. 800S, Claypool, pleaded guilty to dealing methamphetamine with enhancing circumstances, a level 3 felony, and two counts of possession of methamphetamine.

Pierce was arrested in April after officers found him in possession of more than 49 grams of methamphetamine.

On April 29, an Indiana State Trooper with the NET43 Drug Task Force witnessed a vehicle disregard a stop sign at CR 200S and County Farm Road, and conducted a traffic stop. Pierce was one of the passengers in the vehicle.

A Warsaw Police officer responded to the scene with a K9 unit. When the officer asked all occupants to exit the vehicle, Pierce allegedly refused.

According to court documents, officers noticed a plastic bag between Pierce’s legs. Officers removed the bag and found two plastic bags inside, containing a white crystal-like substance. One of the bags contained eight smaller bags and the other contained four smaller bags. The smaller bags were packaged for sale and weighed a total of 49.9 grams.

The K9 unit at the scene made a positive alert on the vehicle. Upon searching the vehicle, officers found a smoking device with methamphetamine residue.

While searching Pierce’s person, officers found drug paraphernalia, a plastic bag containing 0.48 grams of methamphetamine and $125.

Pierce was previously convicted of dealing a controlled substance in March 2013 in Kosciusko County.

In court Wednesday, Pierce told Judge Michael Reed that he has a substance abuse problem and needs help for that. Pierce said he has been involved with drugs since age 12. 

“Your conduct calls for a significant period of incarceration,” Reed told Pierce. “You’re not being sentenced because you’re an addict. You’re being sentenced because of criminal activity.”

Reed sentenced Pierce to one year in prison, at the Indiana Department of Corrections, for the first charge of possession of methamphetamine. For dealing methamphetamine with enhancing circumstances, Pierce was sentenced to six years in prison. Pierce was also given a six-year sentence for the second charge of possession of methamphetamine, for a total of 13 years. The sentences were ordered to be served consecutively, meaning one after the other.

Reed recommended Pierce for purposeful incarceration and participation in the Recovery While Incarcerated (RWI) program.

Purposeful Incarceration initiative is a partnership between the Indiana court system, the Parole Board and the Department of Correction. The Indiana purposeful incarceration initiative gives eligible offenders an opportunity for addiction treatment and recovery plus a chance at earlier re-entry to society.

Pierce was given 149 days of jail time credit. Additional charges were dismissed, pursuant to terms of the plea agreement.

Although not included in the plea agreement, Pierce was also charged with probation violation in a previous case.. He was ordered to be discharged unsatisfactorily. Unsatisfactory discharge from probation means that the probationer is dismissed from probation although that person has not met the terms of probation.