William Geisleman, 35, of Plymouth, was sentenced by agreement on January 16, 2019 in Marshall Superior Court No. 1. Geisleman will serve 25 years imprisonment at the Indiana Department of Correction for pleading guilty to one count of Level 2 Dealing Methamphetamine and 6 years for one count of Level 5 Neglect of a Dependent. Pursuant to Indiana sentencing laws the two sentences will run concurrently (or at the same time). The lower level remaining counts were dismissed in exchange for his admission of guilt. Judge Robert O. Bowen approved the agreement between Chief Deputy Prosecuting Attorney Tami Napier and defense attorney Chris Berdahl.
In open court, Geisleman admitted that he sold approximately 28 grams of methamphetamine at a location on Lake Avenue in Plymouth. The Neglect of a Dependent count involved Geisleman’s toddler daughter.
An aggravating circumstance for prosecutors all along was that Geisleman was on parole from prison at the time of the filing of this case for dealing methamphetamine.
The Marshall County Undercover Narcotics Investigation Team executed a search warrant on Geisleman’s house on May 31, 2018. Sheriff’s Deputies Nick Laffoon and Joseph Giodano assisted. Geisleman, the toddler and Seana Yost were present at the time of the execution of the warrant.
Upon entering Geisleman’s home, police observed a toddler playing next to a table with uncapped “loaded” hypodermic needles and a digital scale with drug residue. A loaded handgun was also within reach of the child. The search of the home yielded more than 50 hypodermic needles, methamphetamine, marijuana, Ecstasy pills, digital scales and other indicia of drug use and drug dealing. Geisleman is the child’s father and Seana Yost is the child’s mother who was likewise charged.
Seana Yost was sentenced to in November of 2018. Yost plead guilty to Possession of Methamphetamine and Neglect of a Dependent and received a nine year sentence after arguments and evidence were submitted to Judge Robert O. Bowen for his consideration. Yost was represented by defense attorney Tom Black and also prosecuted by Chief Deputy Tami Napier. The substantial differences in sentences between Yost and Geisleman is justified in that Yost was more passive throughout the events of the crime, whereas Geisleman was the actually seller and he was on parole at the time for a prior offense.
Prosecuting Attorney Nelson Chipman complimented the thorough work of undercover detectives and the successful prosecution of the case. Undercover detectives work in cooperation with Chipman’s office to develop charges against methamphetamine dealers like Geisleman. Chipman added, “Criminal matters that directly involve children are even more rigorously prosecuted due to the extreme danger children experience in these environments.” Chief Deputy Prosecutor Napier emphasized,”that methamphetamine dealing accounts for a significant amount of drug abuse, overdoses, child neglect and property crimes in our community so it is critically important to investigate and prosecute cases aggressively, such as the case against Geisleman and Yost.”
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