By Liz Shepherd
InkFreeNews

Cody Allen Hale

WARSAW — A Warsaw man will serve a four-year sentence locally for possessing over four grams of fentanyl.

Cody Allen Hale, 35, Warsaw, was charged with possession of a narcotic drug, a level 5 felony; and failure to appear, a level 6 felony. Two additional criminal charges were dismissed as part of a plea agreement.

Hale was sentenced in Kosciusko Circuit Court on Monday, Sept. 18.

An order terminating Hale from participating in the county’s drug court program was filed on Aug. 9. As a result of the narcotic drug possession case, Hale’s probation in a theft case from February 2019 was revoked. For the theft case, Hale received a one-year sentence, with 270 days suspended on probation. However, Hale was released on time served for the probation violation.

For narcotic drug possession, Kosciusko Circuit Court Judge Michael Reed sentenced Hale to three years in the Kosciusko County Jail. Hale also received a one-year KCJ sentence for failure to appear. Both counts will be served consecutively.

He has 94 days of jail time credit, plus good time credit as calculated. Reed said he had no objection to Hale serving his sentence through the county’s work release program.

In total, Hale received a four-year KCJ sentence.

At sentencing, Hale said he’s done a lot of reflecting and working toward his sobriety since being terminated from drug court.

On Oct. 6, 2022, several Warsaw Police officers responded to a report of an individual acting strangely in a vehicle. A K9 unit at the scene alerted to illegal narcotics in the vehicle.

According to court documents, upon searching the vehicle, officers found 4.4 grams of fentanyl. Hale failed to appear for his initial hearing on Oct. 27, 2022.