An admitted methamphetamine addict was sentenced in Starke Circuit Court Wednesday morning.
Brian Tapia, 27 of Plymouth, pleaded guilty in a plea agreement with the state to a charge of Possession of Methamphetamine as a Class D felony. Judge Kim Hall sentenced Tapia per the plea agreement to 18 months in the Department of Corrections with no part of that sentence suspended. The sentence will be served on home detention with day reporting.
The charge stems from a traffic stop in July 2012 in which police found methamphetamine in his car when the car was searched.
Tapia admitted that he has had trouble with drug addiction for a long time, but he has decided to turn his life around and has not used any drugs since his last arrest. He told the judge that he is attending college and helping care for his nephews. Judge Hall told Tapia that he hopes to change his life around, but his past record shows that he has a high probability of re-offending. Judge Hall agreed with Deputy Prosecutor Mary Ryan in the opinion that it will be Tapia’s decision whether or not he wants to pursue a life free of drug addiction.
As part of the sentence Tapia will need to enter into a drug rehabilitation program.
This sentence will run consecutive to another case in Marshall County. He was apprehended in February after police found a meth lab at a home where Tapia and four others were arrested. Tapia was wanted at the time for being involved in an alleged stabbing incident.
