Warsaw Man To Serve Six-Year Sentence Locally For Drug Possession
By Liz Adkins
InkFreeNews
Shane Dale Cox
WARSAW — A Warsaw man will serve a six-year sentence locally after a traffic stop resulted in the discovery of drugs.
Shane Dale Cox, 46, Warsaw, was charged with possession of methamphetamine with enhancing circumstances, a level 5 felony; and operating a vehicle while intoxicated, a class C misdemeanor. Six additional criminal charges and a separate drug possession case were all dismissed as part of a plea agreement.
Cox was sentenced in Kosciusko Circuit Court on Monday, Sept. 16.
For meth possession, Kosciusko Circuit Court Judge Michael Reed sentenced Cox to six years in the Indiana Department of Correction. Cox also received a two-month sentence at the Kosciusko County Jail for OWI. Both sentences will be served at the same time.
Reed suspended the first four years of Cox’s DOC commitment to placement in the Kosciusko County Work Release Program. Cox is qualified to participate in work release. The last two years of Cox’s sentence was suspended on formal probation.
Cox has 405 days of jail time credit, plus good time credit as calculated.
In total, Cox received a six-year sentence, with four years allowed to be served through work release and two years suspended on probation.
At sentencing, Defense Attorney Nick Jacobs said Cox had been sober for about five to six years before he “deviated and returned to using.”
“I messed up after a really bad series of events,” said Cox, citing personal reasons for his drug use. “I saw the relapse coming and didn’t do anything about it. All I can do is move forward.”
Around 2:30 a.m. Aug. 11, 2023, Kosciusko County Sheriff’s Office Deputy Logan Pitts pulled a vehicle over after noticing it had daytime running lights and no tail lights. Cox was driving the vehicle at the time.
According to court documents, a K9 unit alerted to illegal drugs in the vehicle. Upon searching the vehicle, officers found meth residue.
Cox was also exhibiting physical signs of intoxication and failed several field sobriety tests.
He has two prior convictions for dealing meth in Kosciusko County.
In June 2024, Cox and Jacobs filed a motion to suppress, arguing Pitts unlawfully extended Cox’s traffic stop.
The motion alleged Pitts “unlawfully prolonged the traffic stop to give … a K-9 partner time to arrive at the scene” and “at the time the vehicle was searched, law enforcement lacked probable cause to arrest (Cox) for any crime.”
The motion concluded with Cox and his counsel requesting the court suppress any evidence obtained in violation of Cox’s constitutional rights.
After this motion was filed, Prosecutor Brad Voelz filed a brief in support of the search, stating Pitts’ search of Cox’s vehicle was lawful and constitutionally firm.
The court ruled to deny Cox’s motion to suppress, stating the K-9 usage “did not unlawfully extend the traffic stop beyond the time necessary to effectuate the purpose of the stop.” A K-9 unit positively alerted to drugs in the vehicle 10 minutes after Cox was pulled over.
During the suppression hearing, Pitts was also able to state multiple reasons for suspecting Cox to be guilty of criminal activity when he was pulled over.
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