A Koontz Lake man was found guilty of three meth-related charges by a jury in Starke Circuit Court Thursday. Troy Bell was arrested in April of 2016, following a drug raid in Koontz Lake.
Police reportedly recovered 223 grams of methamphetamine from a safe in the basement of the home where Bell was living, according to evidence presented in court this week by Starke County Prosecutor Nick Bourff. Officers from the Starke County Sheriff’s Department and the Knox Police Department, as well as a representative from the Indiana State Police Lab were called to testify.
After about an hour and a half of deliberations, the jury found Bell guilty of Dealing in Methamphetamine, a Level 2 Felony; Maintaining a Common Nuisance, a Level 6 Felony; and Possession of Paraphernalia, a Class C Misdemeanor.
Additionally, Bourff says Bell had already plead guilty to a Level 3 Felony count of Possession of Methamphetamine. A misdemeanor charge of Possession of Marijuana was dismissed Thursday.
A sentencing hearing is set for Tuesday, August 29 at 2:00 p.m. Bourff says Dealing in Methamphetamine carries a sentence of 10 to 30 years.
