Warsaw Man Receives Six-Year Sentence In Two Cases
By Liz Shepherd
InkFreeNews
WARSAW — A Warsaw man received a six-year sentence in two criminal cases.
In the first case, Darrin William Teeple, 41, 223 W. Jefferson St., Warsaw, was charged with resisting law enforcement, a class A misdemeanor; and criminal mischief, a class B misdemeanor. He was also charged with dealing methamphetamine, a level 4 felony, in a second case. Six additional criminal charges were dismissed as part of a plea agreement.
Teeple was sentenced in Kosciusko Circuit Court on Monday, March 28.
On Feb. 19, 2021, a Warsaw Police officer responded to a residential entry report. The officer saw Teeple standing in the middle of a road near the residence that was broken into. While being detained, Teeple began resisting officers when they attempted to place him into a police vehicle. He began moving his legs and pushed away from the vehicle.
An individual said a man had broken a window in her residence and attempted to enter her home. Officers found footprints in the snow outside of the individual’s home. The tread in the footprints appeared to match the tread of the shoes that Teeple was wearing.
On two separate occasions in March 2021, Teeple dealt methamphetamine to the NET43 Drug Task Force. He dealt a total of 8.9 grams of methamphetamine.
During court proceedings, Chief Deputy Prosecuting Attorney Brad Voelz said Teeple had recently been arrested on a separate incident in the last week. Official charges have not been filed.
Defense Attorney Austin Rovenstine said Teeple has taken responsibility for his actions. In regards to the March 2021 case, Rovenstine said Teeple had knowledge he was participating in a controlled buy but dealt the drugs anyway.
Kosciusko Circuit Court Judge Michael Reed expressed confusion about why Teeple would deal methamphetamine with prior knowledge of it being a controlled buy.
For dealing methamphetamine, Judge Reed sentenced Teeple to five years in the Indiana Department of Correction. For each misdemeanor charge, Teeple received a six-month sentence at the Kosciusko County Jail. All three counts will run consecutively. The final year of Teeple’s sentence was suspended on probation.
In total, Teeple will serve five years in prison and one year on probation. He must pay $495 in restitution to NET43. Judge Reed also recommended Teeple for Recovery While Incarcerated during his prison sentence.