Lawrenceburg, IN — Two Dearborn County men were convicted by a jury last Friday of dealing and possessing drugs in the Dearborn County Law Enforcement Center.
40-year-old Daniel Creech of Lawrenceburg and 33-year-old Matthew Gabbard of Aurora were found guilty following a weeklong joint trial on several counts.
According to Dearborn County Prosecutor Lynn Deddens, Creech, Gabbard, and several co-conspirators devised a plan to have methamphetamine brought into the jail on March 5 and 6, 2022.
Jail officers’ attention turned to Gabbard when he called for medical assistance while hallucinating after consuming meth.
After a lengthy investigation, a number of charges were filed against Creech and Gabbard.
Creech was convicted of the following charges:
- Two (2) Counts of Dealing in Methamphetamine in an Amount Between One (1) and Five (5) Grams, with Enhancing Circumstances (that the offenses were committed inside a penal facility), each Level 3 felonies.
- One (1) Count of Conspiracy to Deal in Methamphetamine in an Amount Between Five (5) and Ten (10) Grams, with Enhancing Circumstance, a Level 2 felony.
Gabbard was convicted of:
- One (1) Count of Conspiracy to Deal in Methamphetamine in an Amount Between Five (5) and Ten (10) Grams, with Enhancing Circumstance, a Level 2 felony.
- Two (2) Counts of Possession of Methamphetamine in an Amount Between Five (5) and Ten (10) Grams, with Enhancing Circumstances, each Level 4 felonies.
- Two (2) Counts of Possession of Methamphetamine in an Amount less than Five (5) Grams, with Enhancing Circumstances, each Level 5 felonies.
- One (1) Count of Dealing in Methamphetamine in an Amount less than One (1) Gram, with Enhancing Circumstance, a Level 4 felony.
After jurors returned the verdicts, both Creech and Gabbard pled guilty to the Habitual Offender Sentencing Enhancement in exchange for the State dismissing the Criminal Organization Enhancement.
Sentencing is set for March 6 at 3:30 pm for Gabbard and on April 11 at 10:30 am. for Creech.
Both men will be sentenced in Dearborn Circuit Court by Judge Aaron Negangard.
The possible penalty range for the highest felony the two defendants were convicted of, a Level 2 felony, carries a possible penalty range of from 10 to thirty 30)years in prison.
The Habitual Offender Sentencing Enhancement carries a possible penalty of an additional six to 20 years.
