Mark Lawayne Griffin, 58, of Walkerton, was sentenced by agreement on April 4, in Marshall Superior Court 1. Griffin will serve 7 years imprisonment at the Indiana Department of Correction. Judge Robert O. Bowen approved the agreement between Chief Deputy Prosecuting Attorney Tami Napier and defense attorney Lindsay Shively. In exchange for Griffin’s admission, the State of Indiana agreed to dismiss a misdemeanor case pending in Marshall County Superior Court 2.
In open court, Griffin admitted that in February of 2017 in LaPaz he delivered methamphetamine at the behest of Jenny Ethington to a confidential informant working with the Marshall County Undercover Narcotics Investigation Team (UNIT). The meeting location, type of drug sold and purchase price was established by Ethington with Griffin completing the transaction by making the delivery. Once at the location, Griffin accepted the money from the confidential informant and handed over 10 grams of methamphetamine to the confidential informant.
The case began in 2017 when the UNIT worked with a confidential informant to identify, record and document drug transactions taking place in Marshall County.
Prosecuting Attorney Nelson Chipman was pleased with the outstanding work of the UNIT detectives involved in the investigation. Undercover detectives work in cooperation with Prosecutor Chipman to finalize the charges against Griffin.
“It is well established how methamphetamine decimates families and communities. The prosecution of methamphetamine dealing in Marshall County is a priority in my office and will remain so until it is clear to dealers that it will simply not be tolerated in our community.”
