Editor’s note: This story was revised to reflect that the man will begin his sentence on probation.

By Liz Shepherd
InkFreeNews

Jason Robert Halfacre

WARSAW — A Fort Wayne man will serve four years in prison after dealing narcotics in a car wash bay.

But in this instance, a four-year probationary stint is being front-loaded in his sentence, meaning he will avoid prison.

Jason Robert Halfacre, 45, 5735 Meadows Drive, Apartment 6, Fort Wayne, was charged with dealing in a narcotic drug, a level 4 felony. Three drug possession charges and a failure to appear charge were all dismissed as part of a plea agreement.

Halfacre was sentenced in Kosciusko Circuit Court on Monday, Jan. 18.

On March 4, 2018, a Warsaw Police officer responded to a report of a suspicious vehicle in a car wash bay. Upon arrival, the officer saw a vehicle with three men near it, one of which being Halfacre.

Halfacre and one of the other men had active arrest warrants from Kosciusko County at the time.

While searching Halfacre, the officer found a syringe, five orange pills, two green pills and a plastic bag containing methamphetamine.

Upon searching the vehicle in the car wash bay, the officer found seven bags containing a white powder substance that tested positive for heroin.

Ryan D. Weidenbenner, Winona Lake, admitted to having conversations with Halfacre and the other man about heroin drug transactions. Weidenbenner also said Halfacre offered to pay in cash and provide drugs for driving Halfacre around to make drug transactions.

Weidenbenner received a three-year jail sentence in this matter in August 2019. Two years were allowed to be served through either the county’s community corrections or work release program; one year was suspended on probation.

For dealing in a narcotic drug, Halfacre was sentenced to eight years in prison, with four years of probation ordered to begin immediately.

He also has 71 days of jail time credit in this case.