Putnam County man sentenced to 10 years in prison for drug offense

Anthony Burnett

INDIANAPOLIS — A Fillmore man was sentenced this week to 10 years in federal prison after he was found with a large amount of methamphetamine during a 2017 traffic stop.

Anthony W. Burnett, 29, was sentenced after entering a guilty plea to possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine.

“Methamphetamine has a devastating impact on all communities in this district, but especially rural communities like Putnam County,” U.S. Attorney Josh Minkler said. “The U.S. Attorney’s Office is committed to prosecuting individuals who are responsible for supplying this poison to the community.”

According to Assistant U.S. Attorney Kyle M. Sawa, who prosecuted this case for the government, Burnett will serve five years of supervised release following his imprisonment and must pay a $1,000 fine. Burnett will have to serve a minimum of 85 percent of his 10-year sentence.

He was originally arrested in July 2017 by Maj. Dwight Simmons of the Putnam County Sheriff’s Department.

Simmons initiated a traffic stop in the Reelsville area and immediately noticed Burnett acting nervously. A subsequent K9 search indicated the presence of narcotics.

Inside the pickup truck, Simmons found a zip-lock baggy containing a crystal-like substance inside a styrofoam cup.

The substance field tested positive for methamphetamine and was discovered to have a weight of 116 grams or about four ounces.

Burnett was initially charged with Level 2 felony dealing in methamphetamine (at least 10 grams) and Level 3 felony possession of methamphetamine (at least 28 grams) in Putnam County.

He was set for a guilty plea and sentencing hearing in November 2018. However, he had not met some of the pre-sentence requirements and the prosecutor’s office had also recently filed a petition to revoke his bond and an arrest warrant.

At that point, the federal warrant was issued and Simmons arrested Burnett to turn him over to federal custody.

DEA Indianapolis District Office Assistant Special Agent in Charge Michael Gannon was pleased with the outcome.

“The 10 year federal prison sentence for Mr. Burnett was just and necessary for the citizens of Indiana,” Gannon said. “People like Mr. Burnett who sell crystal methamphetamine (poison) must be held accountable for their actions. DEA will continue to utilize all available resources to investigate and arrest drug dealers who are making money by preying on people with substance abuse issues.

“DEA remains committed to working hand in hand with our state, local and federal partners and targeting those who are flooding our state and country with methamphetamine,” Gannon continued. “DEA commends the outstanding work that was done in this investigation by the Putnam County Sheriff’s Office and the United States Attorney’s Office, Southern District of Indiana.”

Putnam County Sheriff Scott Stockton also expressed his pleasure at seeing this case come to a conclusion.

“We are extremely pleased with the outcome of this case, and want to thank the U.S. Attorney’s Office for their diligence in pursuing and securing a lengthy sentence,” Stockton said. “Working with our federal partners benefited the citizens of Putnam County today. We look forward to a continued relationship for years to come.”