Trials continued for suspects arrested in June drug bust
GREENCASTLE -- Trials for four of nine suspects arrested in a June drug bust were set to begin this week, but have all been continued.
Ileen Marie Gomez, 22, of Flora, charged with Class D felony possession of precursors with intent to manufacture, has a new trial date of Feb. 1; Tina Stillabower, 51, of Cloverdale, charged with Class D felonies dealing in marijuana and possession of marijuana, is now set for trial on Feb. 22; Lance W. Morrison, 24, Cloverdale, charged with Class C felony possession of chemical reagents or precursors, now has a trial date of Dec. 14; and Samuel Robertson, 31, of Spencer, charged with Class D felony possession of precursors with intent to manufacture, has a new trial date of Feb. 15.
Gomez, Stillabower, Morrison and Robertson were arrested, along with Robin Carwile, 21, of Plainfield, Joseph Taylor, 31, of Cloverdale, William E. Morrison, 53, of Cloverdale, Sonya Morrison, 50, of Cloverdale and Michael Woods, 22, of Cloverdale on June 8 after a drug bust at the Midway Motel in Cloverdale.
William and Sonya Morrison are the owners of the hotel.
Carwile is set to go to trial on Nov. 30; Taylor's trial is set for Nov. 17; William and Sonya Morrison are set for Feb. 1 trials; and a status conference for Woods is set for Oct. 27.
The bust happened after the Putnam County Sheriff's Department received a report of a drug overdose at a Cloverdale residence in the early hours of June 8. The overdose victim was taken to the Putnam County Hospital, where it was confirmed that she had overdosed on heroin.
A search of the victim's room turned up a syringe and a spoon. The victim's parents told police that someone had delivered heroin to their daughter on the evening of June 7, and provided a description of the vehicle they believed the person who provided the drugs to their daughter had been driving.
Police located the vehicle. Robertson was driving, while Lance Morrison was a passenger.
Police obtained a search warrant for Robertson's apartment at the Midway Motel. After finding drug-related materials in Robertson's apartment, the officers got search warrants for the rest of the Midway apartments and the surrounding properties.
The search turned up a small methamphetamine lab in a horse trailer, 160 marijuana plants and various drug paraphernalia items including Sudafed, Liquid Fire, tubing and syringes.