Local News
Cocaine charge brings 4 years
<b>Plea deal drops charges of theft and residential entry</b>
On Thursday, a Cass County judge sentenced a Logansport man to four years in prison for possession of crack cocaine.
Cass Circuit Court Judge Leo Burns accepted the terms of a plea agreement calling for 35-year-old Adonis Holmes to spend four years in the Indiana Department of Correction and two years on probation.
Holmes was arrested in March 2007 after police and firefighters responded to a house fire at 720 15th St.
The fire started in the kitchen after Holmes reportedly forgot he had food cooking on the stove. As a Logansport officer arrived on the scene, he saw Holmes standing outside the house trying to throw water onto the fire through an open window.
After being instructed to stop, Holmes walked away and began arguing with a woman in the alley near the residence, the officer reported. As the officer went to investigate the commotion, he saw Holmes drinking vodka from a bottle.
The woman, a resident of the house, claimed that a few days before the fire, Holmes had assaulted her. She told police he confined her to a car while he drove around Kokomo trying to find the person who reportedly stole $500 from him.
Holmes was placed under arrest. Upon searching him, police found a marijuana pipe in his pocket. While Holmes was being booked into the Cass County Jail, a correction officer discovered a bag of crack cocaine that weighed just over four grams.
Also in Holmes’ possession was a house key and an insurance card that belonged to the woman he was accused of battering.
Holmes was charged with possession of cocaine, domestic violence, criminal confinement, possession of paraphernalia, public intoxication, residential entry and possession of stolen property. Those charges were later amended by the prosecutor’s office.
The fire resulted in heavy damage to the kitchen and heat and smoke damage to the house, according to fire reports. An upstairs apartment had smoke damage.
Investigators ruled that the fire was accidental.
In February, Holmes, who was facing a class C felony charge of possession of cocaine, two counts of theft and one count of residential entry, pleaded guilty in exchange for a deal that dropped three of those counts and the habitual substance offender enhancement the prosecution had filed.
In a pre-sentence investigation, the probation department stated its concerns about the probation portion of the sentence because of Holmes’ lengthy criminal history. Prosecuting attorney James Ackermann said probation officers wanted assurances the defendant would successfully transition back into the community.
Holmes, defended by court-appointed attorney Jay Hirschauer, had been sitting in jail on a bond of $5,000 cash/$25,000 surety since his arrest in March of last year. He received credit for 369 days of jail time, meaning he could be eligible for release in about a year.
Kevin Lilly can be reached at (574) 732-5117, or via e-mail at kevin.lilly@pharostribune.com
- Local News
-
-
Overloaded circuits
For the second time in a week, Logansport firefighters found themselves battling a fire caused by overloaded electrical circuits.
-
Delay frustrates local educators
Local educators are voicing frustration over a delay in receiving the results of end of course assessments.
-
GM “assessing its business model”
General Motors addressed Kokomo workers about the company’s business operations and competition Wednesday, GM said.
-
Local youths join in Scouting's 100th celebration
Boy Scouts attending the 100th anniversary celebration of the Boy Scouts of America heard Defense Secretary Robert Gates share his own experiences with Scouting.
-
Taco stand faces deadline to develop permanent structure
Teodora Vital says operating La Doña taco stand is her family’s livelihood.
-
Dealer handed 30 years
A Logansport woman on Tuesday was sentenced to 30 years in prison for dealing cocaine.
-
Task force finds mobile meth lab
A Monticello man was arrested Monday on charges of manufacturing methamphetamine in his vehicle.
-
Celebrating 20 years
A crowd gathered at Little Turtle Waterway on Monday to celebrate the 20th anniversary of the signing of the Americans with Disability Act.
-
Neighborhood Watch Program launches with help of grant money
With help from the United Way and the Emergency Management Agency, Cass County has officially launched a Neighborhood Watch program. -
Logan clerk-treasurer turns down raise
Clerk-treasurer Ruth Ellen Bland has turned down a $500 pay raise for next year.
- More Local News Headlines
-
