Smoot denied bond reduction

Judge Matthew Headley denied a bond reduction Thursday for a Greencastle man charged with Class A felony dealing in cocaine.

Bond for Michael Smoot, 44, was set at $50,000 cash at an initial hearing in Putnam County Circuit Court on Oct. 9. At the same hearing, Smoot pled not guilty to the charge against him and informed the court that he would be defending himself.

Smoot filed a motion for a bond reduction on Oct. 28. A hearing on the matter was held on Nov. 6, and the court took the motion under advisement.

A pretrial conference is set for Dec. 4. A Class A felony carries a maximum sentence of 50 years.

According to court documents, Putnam County Sheriff's Department officers met with a confidential informant on March 22. The informant said he was "willing to make a controlled buy" at Smoot's home.

The informant told officers he had heard Smoot "had just gotten into town with a load of cocaine to sell," and that Smoot had already offered to sell him cocaine if the informant would come to Smoot's house.

The informant was fitted with a wire and given $200 in cash to make the buy. He was followed by two officers to Smoot's home.

The informant entered Smoot's home, where he purchased nine bags of cocaine. Officers were also able to capture a sale to another subject through the informant's wire.

Later that same evening, member of the Greencastle ERT Team served a search warrant on Smoot's home, but by the time they got there Smoot -- and the drugs -- were gone.

Smoot eluded police for more than six months.