BEDFORD – Lawrence Superior Court II Judge Robert Cline sentenced a Bedford man Thursday to two years in Indiana
Department of Correction for violating the terms of his probation.
Richard Johnson, 51, pleaded guilty to possession of methamphetamine, a Level 6 felony, in June of 2021, as a part of a negotiated plea agreement.
On October 27, 2022, Johnson plead guilty to a new charge involving possession of meth and criminal mischief which triggered the probation violations in the 2019 case. Additionally, members of the Lawrence County Probation Department and Community Corrections testified that Johnson demonstrated a history of noncompliance and had never reported to the probation department as required by the 2019 case.
“I have made this statement before but it is worth repeating, any Level 6 Felony case charged before July of 2022 was required to be sentenced to the local jail and not automatically to the Indiana Department of Corrections, this created a tremendous financial burden to the Lawrence County taxpayers,” said Prosecutor Sam Arp. “As a result, my office would structure pleas that would focus on rehabilitation as to sentences to the Lawrence County Jail. Johnson was given a tremendous opportunity to make positive changes in his life and follow the rules and made the choice not to take advantage of this opportunity and Judge Cline’s sentence held him accountable for his actions”.
