Bradley Vest, 24, of Plymouth, was sentenced by agreement on Thursday, November 1st, in Marshall Superior Court No. 1. Vest’s sentence is for two separate instances relating to the sale of controlled substances. Vest will serve 8 years under the agreement with 7 of the years served in the Indiana Department of Correction followed by 1 year of reporting probation.
Vest pled guilty to a Level 4 felony of Dealing a Controlled Substance and a Level 5 felony of Dealing a Controlled Substance. Judge Robert O. Bowen approved the agreement between Chief Deputy Prosecuting Attorney Tami Napier and defense attorney Chris Berdahl.
In open court, Vest admitted that in March and April of 2018 at 11076 Beth Street in Plymouth he sold prescription pills to an undercover detective on several occasions.
The case began in early 2018 when the Marshall County Undercover Narcotics Investigation Team was able to identify, record and document drug transactions taking place in Marshall County. Authorities became aware of Vest’s activities through his numerous associations and contacts with other drug users and dealers in the area.
Prosecuting Attorney Nelson Chipman stated that studies reveal that prescription pill abuse is one of the most ubiquitous and insidious issues in the nation, and Marshall County is no exception to those statistics. “Prescription pill abuse is the starting point for a significant number of otherwise law abiding individuals’ entry into illegal drug usage. Successful investigation and prosecution of this class of offenses is essential to curtail the spread of illicit drug use and hopefully to deter others from the slippery slope of drug dependence.”
“Prescription drug abuse and the illicit sale of prescription medication is a very serious and growing problem. The most abused prescription drugs are in four categories: painkillers, tranquilizers, stimulants and sedatives. Physicians monitor the level of their patients’ usage closely but when you have someone like Vest selling the same drugs on the street the potential for serious harm is exponential. We are well aware that sales made by Bradley Vest have resulted in great harm to a number of individuals. But being aware of it and being able to prove it are two distinct things. That makes the vigorous prosecution of these cases an essential component of public safety.”
