Brandon N. Parsley
HANCOCK COUNTY — A Fortville man facing eight different crimes, including a felony drug charge that could have carried as many as 30 years in prison, avoided trial after a plea agreement was approved in Hancock County Superior Court 1, Wednesday, Oct. 12.
Brandon N. Parsley, 39, 600 block of N. Madison Street, was originally charged with a Level 2 felony count of dealing methamphetamine, two Level 6 felony counts of invasion of privacy and being a habitual traffic offender as well as four different misdemeanor charges and one infraction.
According to plea agreement documents, Parsley had to vacate his previous not guilty plea and enter a guilty plea. However, the admittance of guilt was to a lesser Level 4 felony count of possession of methamphetamine as well as admitting guilt to a misdemeanor charge of false informing.
Parsley was given a total term of 12 years for the most serious charge with at least six of those years to be executed in prison and six years suspended to probation. The lesser charge, the misdemeanor, came with a 180-day term to be served concurrent with the Level 4 felony.
According to a probable cause affidavit, Parsley was driving a vehicle that was pulled over in March, 2021 in Fortville. The trouble began when Parsley falsely identified himself as his younger brother, the affidavit said. He was separated from a woman who was also in the car, and the woman told police drugs were in the vehicle.
The woman had a protective order out against Parsley, the affidavit said. She told officers Parsley threatened to “knock her teeth out” and told her, “Shh, don’t say anything” as he was being pulled over, the affidavit said.
Upon the search of the car, officers found Parsley’s proper identification as well as a quantity of a crystalline substance, pills and a leafy substance believed to be marijuana. The search also turned up drug paraphernalia and a digital scale, the affidavit said.
The crystalline substance, which was determined to be methamphetamine, weighed 16.3 grams, affidavit said.
The woman told police Parsley had been dealing drugs shortly before being pulled over and was on his way to another drug sale when officers stopped him.
