Hattie Mae Reger
HANCOCK COUNTY — A local woman who was originally facing serious felony drug crimes following an incident in the summer of 2021 had the most serious charges against her dropped as part of a plea agreement in Hancock County Circuit Court late last week.
Hattie Mae Reger, 22, Greenfield, was originally facing six charges in all including a Level 2 felony count of dealing a scheduled I controlled substance; a Level 5 felony count of dealing marijuana; a Level 6 felony count of maintaining a common nuisance and three different Class A Misdemeanor charges. While a Level 2 felony carries up to a 30-year sentence, Reger will spend no time in prison.
The plea deal, accepted by Judge Scott Sirk Thursday, April 27, called for Reger to admit guilt during a sentencing hearing to a Level 5 felony count of dealing marijuana and a Level 5 felony count of corrupt business influence. While both crimes can carry up to six years, Reger’s penalty called for a total five-year term. The plea agreement noted, three years are to be served on Community Corrections Home Detention as a term of probation with the remaining two years to be served on formal probation with the Hancock County Probation Department.
As part of the plea agreement, the state agreed to dismiss all other charges against Reger.
According to a probable cause affidavit, Reger was at a home in the 4600 block of Fortville Pike in July 2021. Officials went there looking to make a field visit on a Boone County man, Gavin William Pine, 26, who was on probation but was suspected of selling drugs while staying in Hancock County.
Pine was advertising drugs via social media using videos and photos, including one photo with the caption “Come get ya weed n needs from you’re (sic) Favorite dealer,” a probable cause affidavit said.
Pine told investigators he had been on home detention for about about two months for previous crimes out of Boone County, including robbery; possession of a controlled substance; and resisting law enforcement, the affidavit stated. In addition to Pine, Reger, who was identified as Pine’s girlfriend, was also arrested and charged.
Investigators in Hancock County already had been conducting surveillance on the Fortville Pike residence and noted multiple vehicles coming and going from it, the affidavit said. They had identified Pine as the resident and suspected drug trafficking was occurring there, the affidavit said.
A search of the home turned up a wide range of drugs, including approximately 600 tablets of hydrocodone; 12 tablets of OxyContin; a quantity of psilocybin mushrooms; and more than 2 pounds of marijuana. The search also turned up more than 20 pounds of vaping cartridges and a quantity of prescription medication.
Investigators also found drug paraphernalia and more than $14,000 in cash, and three firearms also were taken from the residence.
As part of a plea deal Pine admitted guilt to three charges in June 2021 — a Level 4 felony count of unlawful possession of a firearm by a serious violent felon, a Level 5 felony count of dealing in marijuana and a Level 5 felony count of corrupt business influence, the agreement states.
Sirk accepted that deal and sentenced Pine to a 12-year term for the Level 4 felony gun charge with eight years to be executed at the Indiana Department of Corrections and four years suspended to probation. Pine was also given a six-year term for each of the Level 5 felony charges with four years executed and two suspended to formal probation, the agreement states.
The Hancock County terms will run concurrent. However, they will run consecutive to a prior sentence he received out of Boone County where he was given a four-year term there for a robbery and other misdemeanor drug crimes, court records state.
As part of the Hancock County plea, Pine must also complete a recovery while incarcerated program and serve at least four years in prison before he may petition the court for a modification of his sentence, that plea stated.
