HANCOCK COUNTY — The couple facing multiple felony related drug charges, who were involved in a drug overdose in a Greenfield motel room in 2017, were sentenced for their crimes Monday in Hancock County Circuit Court 1.
Grant Hoefener, 33, Indianapolis, and his wife, Crystal Lee, 28, Anderson, were given multi-year sentences, to run concurrently and to be served through the Hancock County Community Corrections Work Release program.
Both were taken to the Hancock County Jail after Judge Scott Sirk announced the sentences, but neither are facing time in prison at the Indiana Department of Corrections, which is what deputy prosecutor David Thornburg had asked.
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Hoefener and Lee are instead eligible for work release, then home detention through the Hancock County Community Corrections programs.
Hoefener’s Indianapolis attorney had two doctors testify during the sentencing hearing on Hoefener’s behalf. They recommended home detention or at worst, work release for Hoefener saying he had turned his life around.
Hoefener received a six year sentence from the judge to be served at the Department of Corrections, with five years executed and one year suspended. The executed portion however will be served through Community Corrections. Two and a half years will be served on work release, while the other two and a half years will be on home detention.
Lee received a nine year sentence to be served at the Department of Corrections, with three executed and six on probation also administered through Community Corrections. One year will be served on work release and two years on home detention.
“They’ll go through intake in the county jail and they’ll wait for a bed to open in work release,” probation officer Mary-Kay Dobbs said, after the sentencing.
Since both Hoefener and Lee already have jobs, there is a strong possibility they will spend little time in the county jail before getting into the work release program. County officials do not want them to lose their jobs, Dobbs said.
Hoefener was originally charged with 10 felonies including a Level 2 felony charge for dealing methamphetamine and a Level 3 felony charge of possession of methamphetamine. Lee was originally facing several counts, including a Level 3 charge of possession of methamphetamine, two lesser felonies and six misdemeanor charges.
Both entered into a plea agreement in which Lee plead guilty to one Level 3 felony charge of possession of methamphetamine; a Level 6 felony charge of possession of a narcotic drug; and possession of marijuana, a Class B misdemeanor.
Hoefener plead guilty to one Level 5 felony charge of possession of methamphetamine and three Level 6 felony charges of possession of a controlled substance, and maintaining a common nuisance.
Thornburg, who believed the severity of the drug charges in the case dictated the couple should spend some time in prison at the DOC, didn’t want to comment after the judge made his decision. But, he did say during the sentencing hearing Hoefener has a high criminal history of substance abuse which shouldn’t be ignored.
During the sentencing hearing, Hoefener told the judge he is a different man and that the person who has almost died from three different drug overdoses, and had used drugs since he was a teenager, is gone.
“I know I’ve been a terrible person with a terrible past, but I’m a changed person,” Hoefener told the court.
The two doctors who testified on Hoefener’s behalf said the same and told the judge that sending Hoefener, who has stayed clean for nearly two years and passed all his drug tests, to prison, would be a step backwards in his rehabilitation process.
Both Hoefener and Lee apologized to the judge, the prosecutor’s department, and their families, vowing to stay clean and take responsibility for their actions.
In October 2017, Hoefener almost died from a drug overdose. Lee, who was then his girlfriend, called 911 to report Hoefener was unresponsive and turning blue. When police arrived at the motel where they were staying, they discovered the room was littered with illegal drugs and paraphernalia.
