DECATUR COUNTY, IN — A Connersville man pleaded guilty and was sentenced to nine years in prison by Decatur Superior Court Judge Matthew Bailey for Dealing in a Schedule IV Controlled Substance (Level 3 felony).
Twenty-year-old Jaron Markland (pictured) was arrested at a home on Eastern Avenue in Connersville on August 12, 2021, following an investigation into drug activity in Greensburg.
Assistant Chief Brandon Meyer with the Greensburg Police Department conducted that investigation, which led to a roundup of Markland and several others in Connersville.
In addition to Greensburg Police, other agencies involved in the raid were Decatur County Court Services, Indiana State Police, the Connersville Police Department, and the Fayette County Sheriff’s Office.
“The investigation into this case points toward a network of addicts whose habits Jaron Markland helped to feed,” said Decatur County Prosecutor Nate Harter. “Searching his phone pursuant to a search warrant provided us with a treasure trove of information.”
Harter is recognizing law enforcement personnel for their work on this case, specifically lead investigator Meyer and Greensburg Police Detective Mark Naylor, as well as law enforcement partners in Fayette County who helped organize and execute the initial raid.
“I hope Mr. Markland and other drug dealers in Decatur County are beginning to learn the lesson that we are tired of them peddling poison into our community, to our friends, neighbors, and children,” Harter added. “We will continue to work diligently to catch them and send them to prison where they can reflect on the harm they cause.”
All nine years of Markland’s sentence will be served at the Indiana Department of Correction.
Harter said Markland’s probation in two separate cases has been revoked as a result of this conviction, and that he will serve additional jail time in connection with those cases.
