Roche pleads guilty to battery
A Greencastle man pled guilty Thursday in Putnam County Circuit Court for his role in a June attack in which another man was severely beaten.
Frank Adam Roche, 18, entered a guilty plea on a charge of Class C felony battery resulting in serious bodily injury. Under the terms of a plea agreement, a charge of Class A misdemeanor battery was dropped.
In a separate case, Roche also pled guilty to a charge of Class A misdemeanor possession of paraphernalia. In exchange for that plea, charges of Class A misdemeanor dealing in marijuana and a possession of paraphernalia infraction were dismissed.
Roche's plea agreement, which was accepted by Senior Judge Diana LaViolette, stipulated that any executed time for the felony charge would not exceed two years, and that the maximum executed time Roche would serve for the misdemeanor would be three months.
Without the plea agreement, Roche could have been sentenced to up to nine years in prison.
Roche admitted that he took part in the June 5 assault on John Sanders, 26, of Greencastle. Sanders was beaten in the early morning hours on that date outside Topper's bar, an affidavit of probable cause prepared by Putnam County Prosecutor's Office Investigator Charles Bollinger said.
Sanders was taken to Putnam County Hospital via ambulance after the attack, and was later transferred to Methodist Hospital, Indianapolis. He suffered head injuries as a result of the beating inflicted on him by Roche and four other individuals.
A warrant for Roche's arrest was issued on Aug. 26, and his first court appearance was Sept. 4. At that time, bond was set at $20,000 with 10 percent allowed. He has been unable to post bond and has been lodged in the Putnam County Jail since his arrest.
In court Thursday, Deputy Prosecutor James Hanner asked Roche what his part was in the attack on Sanders.
"After the victim hit the ground, I kicked him, Roche said.
Hanner asked where Roche had kicked Sanders.
"In the chest," Roche said.
LaViolette asked Roche what explanation he had for why he "would do such a thing."
"I was under the influence," Roche said.
Hanner said Roche had been involved in three criminal cases as a juvenile.
LaViolette said she did not want to conduct a sentencing for Roche without hearing testimony. She ordered a pre-sentence investigation and set sentencing for Feb. 19.
Three other men were charged with Class C felony battery along with Roche in connection with the attack on Sanders. Jeremy Musall, 24, was sentenced on Dec. 8 to six years in the Indiana Department of Corrections with two years exceuted, one year on home detention and three years on probation. Cody McNew, 19, pled guilty to the charge on Jan. 15, and is set to be sentenced Feb. 19. Jared L. Hornaday, 19, will be in court for his final pretrial conference on Feb. 5.
A fifth defendant, an unnamed juvenile, was also involved, court records said.