Trafficking defendant asks for bond reduction

Friday, February 6, 2009

An Indianapolis woman accused of attempting to pass drugs to a Putnamville Correctional Facility inmate during a visit was in court Thursday to request a bond reduction.

Tonya Denise Corley, who also uses the last names Robinson and Allmon, was arrested after a Dec. 30 incident at the prison and was charged with Class B felony dealing in cocaine, Class C felony trafficking with an inmate, Class D felonies dealing in marijuana, possession of cocaine and possession of marijuana and Class A misdemeanor trafficking with an inmate.

Corley has been in the Putnam County jail since her arrest, unable to post the $15,000 cash plus $15,000 surety set for her by Putnam County Circuit Court Judge Matthew Headley on Dec. 31.

Headley took Corley's request under advisement, and said he would issue a decision in "the next couple of days."

Corley told Headley she has six children, ranging in age from 20 to 12. She said she has a support obligation of $30 per week for the youngest child.

Corley said she was working at a licensed daycare center at the time of her arrest, and that her job would be waiting for her if she were able to bond out. She also said her mother-in-law had been paying her rent so that she would have a home to return to.

Corley said her mother and mother-in-law would post her bond if it were reduced.

If convicted on all charges, she could face as many as 38 years in prison.

According to court documents, Corley passed two packages to Putnamville inmate Jeremy Holland during a visit at the prison on Dec. 30. Correctional officers took Holland to a porter's room, where he was stripped and searched. Officers saw Holland remove two packages from the front of his underwear. One of the packages contained "brown plant material with a cell phone and a cell phone charger inside," court documents said, while the second contained "green, leafy plant material."

Corley was detained, and when officers asked if she had any other contraband on her person, she produced a package from her underwear that contained a substance later determined to be tobacco.

Corley said all the items had been paid for in advance by Holland.

Corley was then transported to the Putnamville Post of the Indiana State Police. The green leafy substance recovered from Holland tested positive for marijuana, and was found to weigh 56 grams.

While repackaging the recovered tobacco, officers discovered a small plastic bag containing a white, powdery substance. When questioned, Corley denied any knowledge of the small package.

The substance was tested and found to be cocaine.

Officers also found that an active warrant for Corley's arrest existed in Michigan City. That warrant was connected to a 2003 conviction for Class D felony maintaining a common nuisance. The charge on the warrant was failure to serve sentence.

Headley told Corley if he reduced her bond in Putnam County, she still had a hold for LaPorte County.

Corley said she didn't understand how she could have a warrant in Michigan City.

"I actually did time for that," Corley said. "I did all that time in the (LaPorte) county jail."

Corley said she was in jail in LaPorte County from Jan. 10 to May 9, 2003.

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  • She should have thought about her children and the risk she was taking before trafficking to an inmate.Also, giving a cell phone to an inmate who somehow paid for what she took into the prison is a risk to the officers-like as using a cell phone to make more deals to get more drugs in the prison-and probably more dangerous drugs to sell to other offenders.And why should she be allowed to even work around little children let alone be around her own.She did the crime-she needs to do time.

    -- Posted by peace2019 on Sat, Feb 7, 2009, at 6:31 PM
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