Published: September 14, 2007 11:39 am      

Meth dealer pleads guilty

Logansport resident faces 10-year sentence

After a heated discussion with her public defender, 35-year-old Katherine Swanner made a plea deal that will send her to prison for at least six years and as many as 10.

Swanner, facing a class A felony charge of dealing in methamphetamine, appeared in Cass Circuit Court Thursday for a final pre-trial conference.

During a recess, Swanner and public defender Jay Hirschauer left the courtroom to talk privately. They were gone a few minutes, and when they emerged, a disagreement spilled out.

“If you cared so much about your kids, you wouldn’t be snorting meth,” said Hirschauer.

“Maybe I should get different representation,” Swanner said.

“Go ahead,” Hirschauer retorted.

“Just straighten up and get the plea done,” Swanner said as she sat down in the juror’s box.

A jailer had to calm her down. When Judge Leo Burns returned, he heard the plea agreement.

Swanner agreed to a deal that dropped the class A felony to a class B felony, an assurance of less prison time. The range on a class A is 20 to 50 years while the class B is six to 20. The agreement put a cap of 10 years on the prison time. She must also serve at least two years on probation and as many as six years, depending on the prison time she gets.

Swanner faced the highest felony because of the amount of meth found when the police raided her home. Hirschauer said there would be no mention of weight in the plea.

In March 2006, the Cass County Drug Task Force seized $3,000 worth of meth from Swanner’s residence at 1818 Knowlton St. in Logansport. Investigators recovered meth, as well as U.S. currency, drug paraphernalia and other items related to the sale of the drug.

On March 29, 2006, Swanner reportedly sold $500 in meth to an undercover informant.

“Yes, I sold to a snitch,” she said during questioning at Thursday’s hearing.

Police later raided her house and found the buy money in her pocket. Swanner was asked whether there was a factual basis for the charges.

“Unfortunately, yes,” she said.

Burns said he would take the plea agreement under advisement. Sentencing is scheduled for 1 p.m. Oct. 11.

Kevin Lilly can be reached at (574) 732-5117, or via e-mail at kevin.lilly@pharostribune.com