By GLEN WERLING
Multiple charges against a rural Bluffton woman gained her a sentence of more than 16 years in the Indiana Department of Correction last week.
Tammy Whetstone, also known as Tammy Dasher, 51, had pleaded guilty Feb. 7 to charges of dealing in methamphetamine, a Level 4 felony; aiding and dealing in a narcotic drug, a Level 4 felony; theft, a Level 6 felony; and with violating probation from a July 19, 2017, conviction for dealing in a narcotic drug, a Level 5 felony.
Wells Circuit Court Judge Kent Kiracofe ordered Whetstone to serve 10 years in prison on each of the two Level 4 felonies. The two sentences are to be served concurrently, but consecutively with a 2.5-year sentence meted for the Level 6 felony and 1,482 days meted for the probation violation.
In each of the Level 4 felonies and in the Level 6 felony, Whetstone was ordered to pay $185 in court costs. She was also ordered to pay $400 in drug interdiction fees. There remains $2,349.05 remaining to be paid in fees and restitution from the case in which she had violated probation.
As part of a plea agreement, a second count of theft, a Level 6 felony; charges of dealing in a narcotic drug, a Level 4 felony; two counts of dealing in a substance represented to be a controlled substance, both Level 5 felonies; possession of methamphetamine, a Level 5 felony; possession of a controlled substance with a previous conviction for the same or a similar offense, a Level 6 felony; another count of dealing in methamphetamine, a Level 4 felony; possession of methamphetamine with an enhancing circumstance, a Level 5 felony; and possession of drug paraphernalia, a Class C misdemeanor, were all dismissed.
On Aug. 24, 2020, Whetstone reportedly stole four rings from a friend. Three of the rings Whetstone reportedly pawned but the fourth ring she reportedly kept and was wearing during her arrest on the drug charges.
On Jan. 4, 2021, the DETECT Drug Task Force arranged through a cooperating individual to buy methamphetamine from Whetstone and her husband, Steven, in the parking lot of the Corner Depot Restaurant.
On Jan. 14, 2021, the Wells County Probation Department requested that Whetstone’s rural Bluffton residence be searched for potential evidence of illegal drug use.
During the course of the search, officers located a glass pipe with burned marks, a glass plate with a crystalline substance with the appearance of methamphetamine, a baby bottle made into a methamphetamine bong containing considerable white residue, a small box that was made to look like a pack of Marlboro cigarettes but actually contained several bags of methamphetamine, a glass bubble pipe, a broken glass bubble pipe — both containing white residue, pill bottles containing multiple types of prescription pills, a small plastic bag of marijuana, and multiple unused zipper-lock plastic bags.
Steven Whetstone was sentenced Oct. 27, 2021, on charges of dealing methamphetamine, a Level 3 felony — with an habitual offender enhancement, failure to register as a sex or violent offender, a Level 5 felony, and for violating probation from a March 20, 2020, sentence for failing to register as a sex or violent offender, a Level 5 felony.
Steven Whetstone was sentenced to 24.3 years in prison. After he serves 11.25 years, he may petition the court for a sentence modification.
glenw@news-banner.com
