Ragsdale To Serve 10 Years In Prison For Dealing Drugs
By Liz Shepherd
InkFreeNews
Amber Dawn Ragsdale
WARSAW — An Elkhart woman will serve 10 years in prison for dealing drugs.
Amber Dawn Ragsdale, 37, Elkhart, was charged with dealing methamphetamine, a level 2 felony. Two additional criminal charges were dismissed as part of a plea agreement.
Ragsdale was sentenced in Kosciusko Circuit Court on Monday, Feb. 26.
For dealing meth, Kosciusko Circuit Court Judge Michael Reed sentenced Ragsdale to 12 years in the Indiana Department of Correction. The last two years of Ragsdale’s 12-year sentence was suspended on probation. The sentence will be served back-to-back to a drug possession case Ragsdale has from Elkhart County.
At sentencing, Prosecutor Brad Voelz said Ragsdale is currently serving “significant executed time” at the Indiana Women’s Prison for Elkhart County cases.
Defense Attorney Paul Namie said Ragsdale understood and recognized the consequences for her actions, noting that she has struggled with addiction since she was young. He asked the court to consider giving Ragsdale the opportunity to serve her executed sentence in a transitory manner to help her acclimate back into society. Namie also noted Ragsdale has been taking classes during her time in DOC.
Ragsdale apologized for her actions and said she was scheduled to participate in Recovery While Incarcerated upon her return to DOC.
On Sept. 12, 2022, Child Protective Services requested officers’ assistance for a home visit in Warsaw. An 18-day-old child was having seizure-like activity and a toxicology screen showed they had amphetamines in their system.
According to court documents, the NET 43 Drug Task Force obtained a search warrant for the home and arrested several individuals, including Ragsdale. Officers obtained a search warrant for Ragsdale’s phone and found messages related to drug dealing.
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