(Greensburg, IN) – Jerry Merrill Jr. of Shelbyville was sentenced Tuesday in Decatur Circuit Court to 15 years in prison after he pled guilty last month to Level 3 felony Possession of Methamphetamine and admitting to being a Habitual Offender.
The charges stemmed from an incident a year ago this month in which Greensburg Police thwarted a drug delivery.
Both parties entered a plea agreement in which Merrill would receive 15 years, with the judge to decide how much time should be in prison, home detention, or probation.
Judge Tim Day went along with the prosecution’s recommendation that the entire sentence be served in prison, based on Merrill’s lengthy criminal history.
Defense attorneys argued his sentence should be divided between six years in prison and nine years’ probation.
Merrill will also receive drug treatment through the Recovery While Incarcerated program.
Decatur County Prosecutor Nate Harter noted that Merrill’s rap sheet includes several felonies: Conspiracy to Manufacture Methamphetamine as a B felony; Dealing in Methamphetamine (Level 4 felony); Possession of Methamphetamine (Level 6 felony and as a Class D felony); Resisting Law Enforcement, and Battery Resulting in Bodily Injury (both Class D felonies).
“Mr. Merrill carried controlled substances into our community, and I’m grateful for the police work by the Greensburg Police Department to intercept those drugs,” Harter said. “Because of Mr. Merrill’s longstanding addiction issues, he will have maximum accountability in prison to incentivize him to take treatment seriously .”
