Drug bust suspects set for Jan. 25 trials

Saturday, January 15, 2011
Robin Carwile

GREENCASTLE -- Two of the nine people who were arrested in a June 8 drug bust in Cloverdale are slated to go to jury trial in Putnam County Superior Court this month.

Lance W. Morrison, 24, of Cloverdale and Robin Carwile, 21, of Indianapolis will both appear before Judge Denny Bridges on Jan. 25.

Morrison is charged with Class C felony possession of chemical reagents or precursors. He posted 10 percent of a $10,000 bond on Aug. 2.

Carwile is charged with Class A misdemeanor possession of paraphernalia and Class B misdemeanor visiting a common nuisance. She posted 10 percent of a $5,000 bond on June 11.

The charges against Morrison and Carwile were filed after a bust facilitated by a report to the Putnam County Sheriff's Department of a drug overdose at a Clovedale residence early on June 8. The overdose victim was transported to Putnam County Hospital, where it was confirmed she had overdosed on heroin.

Police went back to the victim's home and searched her bedroom, where they found drug paraphernalia including a syringe and a spoon. The victim's parents gave police a description of the car they said a man who supplied their daughter with heroin was driving.

Eventually, evidence and tips led police to the Midway Motel in Cloverdale, where they discovered a small methamphetamine lab in a horse trailer, 160 marijuana plants and multiple drug paraphernalia items.

Lance Morrison

Morrison, Carwile and seven others were arrested. Taken into custody along with Morrison and Carwile were:

* Ileen Gomez, 22, Flora, who was charged with Class D felony possession of precursors with intent to manufacture. Her trial date is Feb. 1.

* Tina Stillabower, 51, who was charged with Class D felonies dealing in marijuana and possession of marijuana. She is set for trial on Feb. 22.

* Samuel Robertson, 31, of Spencer, who is set for trial on Feb. 15 to face a charge of Class D felony possession of precursors with intent to manufacture.

* Joseph W. Taylor, 31, is set for a bench trial on Feb. 7 to face charges of Class B misdemeanor visiting common nuisance and Class A infraction possession of paraphernalia.

* Michael B. Woods, 22, Cloverdale, is set for a Feb. 6 bench trial. He is charged with Class A misdemeanor possession of paraphernalia and Class B misdemeanor visiting a common nuisance.

* William E. Morrison, 53 and Sonya Morrison, 50, of Cloverdale, who are both charged with Class D felony maintaining a common nuisance and Class A misdemeanor possession of paraphernalia.

William and Sonya Morrison own the Midway Motel. Their next court date, a suppression hearing, is scheduled for Jan. 25.

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  • The state should have bulldozed the Midway Motel & all it's accompanied trash (including residents) years ago.

    You want to see growth & a success story for Putnam County, start knockin' down some buildings.

    -- Posted by ProblemTransmission on Sat, Jan 15, 2011, at 7:05 AM
  • The problem isn't with all the residents at the midway, it's the owners. Some of those families who live there have nowhere else to go and are only staying there because they can't afford anything else right now. Don't worry though, I'm sure william and sonya will figure out a way out of all this mess.

    -- Posted by Meadow31 on Sat, Jan 15, 2011, at 9:02 AM
  • How do you sustain 100+ plants while living in a motel?

    If they were in the trailer they would have froze.

    So they had to be inside, how do the owners/maids not catch this?

    -- Posted by dodger1 on Mon, Jan 17, 2011, at 8:22 AM
  • The bust was June 8th. That's perfect pot growing weather. Marijuana is actually pretty hardy, and grows wild in Indiana.

    -- Posted by Clovertucky on Mon, Jan 17, 2011, at 6:30 PM
  • If only these disgusting people would put as much work into establishing actual careers as they put into harvesting drugs. I'm so sick of people like this. DO SOMETHING WITH YOUR LIVES!

    -- Posted by taxpayer21 on Sat, Jan 22, 2011, at 9:15 PM
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