Daryl Whitfield, 43, McCordsville
HANCOCK COUNTY — A McCordsville man who was facing four felony charges, including a Level 2 felony count of dealing a scheduled II drug, had his case settled via plea agreement late last week in circuit court.
Daryl Whitfield, 43, 6600 block of W. Dickens, was determined to not be the person who owned the drugs but instead was the owner of the home where the arrest for drugs was made back in 2022. Due to that information, Whitfield had most of the four charges against him dropped and was instead charged with a Level 6 felony count of maintaining a common nuisance-controlled substance.
After receiving updated information, Judge Scott Sirk accepted the plea agreement Thursday, which called for Whitfield to get a total sentence of 730 days in prison. However, 365 of those days are being executed through the Hancock County Community Corrections home detention program with the other 365 days suspended to formal probation.
Officials believe the drugs belonged to another man involved with the case — Sanders Markl Emerson, 23, Indianapolis. He was facing a Level 2 felony drug dealing charge and two Level 6 felony drug charges.
However, according to a plea agreement in his case, Emerson entered a guilty plea to a lesser Level 3 felony drug charge and was given a 10-year total term. He also had to admit guilt to one of the Level 6 felony charges while the other charges against him were dismissed. Emerson’s case was settled back in May.
According to a probable cause affidavit, officers from the McCordsville Police Department were dispatched to the 6600 block of West Dickens Crossing on June 9, 2022 for a welfare check on two dogs that were barking incessantly. It had been reported the dogs were in one crate with no food or water.
When officers arrived, Emerson opened the door and police noted they smelled raw marijuana emitting from the residence, the affidavit said. The home owner, Whitfield, came to the door and officials told him they wanted to search the property and, if he declined, they’d get a warrant. Whitfield declined, so police asked him to exit the residence, which he initially refused to do before finally exiting the house.
Officials reported they found 69.1 grams of blue pills with “M” on the side thought to be Oxycodone, the affidavit said. There was also a shoe box which contained marijuana stems and leaves, the report noted.
Officials also found 8.1 grams of peach-colored capsules in a bedroom where Emerson was staying, the affidavit said. Officers also found scales with a marijuana shake on it, a Glock 20 handgun, a Draco rifle and two iPhones.
Officials arrested Whitfield and Emerson at the time. Prior to the arrests, officials noted they had numerous complaints about possible narcotics activity at the residence and that they began conducting surveillance there, the affidavit said.
