Muncie woman sentenced to 40 years for role in fatal overdose
MUNCIE, Ind. — A Muncie woman on Wednesday was sentenced to 40 years in prison for her role in an acquaintance's fatal overdose.
A Delaware Circuit Court 4 jury in August found Vera Renee Morgan, 33, guilty of dealing in a controlled substance resulting in death, a Level 1 felony that carried up to 40 years in prison.
The jury also found that Morgan, with five earlier felony convictions, was a habitual offender.
Testimony at her trial indicated Morgan told heroin, in October 2020, to a 32-year-old Muncie woman who a few hours later overdosed and died.
At Wednesday's hearing, Morgan told Judge John Feick she was "not guilty, but I'm not innocent, either."
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While she denied taking part in the drug transaction, in the parking lot of a southside convenience store, Morgan said she could have been "a better person" and tried to persuade the victim not to ingest drugs.
"She was a beautiful person," Morgan said of the victim. "She deserved so much better."
The Muncie woman said through her own drug abase, she had "let down my kids" and other members of her family.
She said the dealing-resulting-in-death law under which she was prosecuted under results in "putting people with a disease away" but rarely targets significant drug dealers.
Chief Deputy Prosecutor Zach Craig disagreed with that assessment, saying Morgan had "spent 15 years... committing crimes and selling poison to other addicts," with frequent trips to Ohio to spend "thousands" of dollars to purchase drugs she later dealt.
The victim's sister described the pain of losing a family member, first to addiction and then to death. She said she hoped Morgan would recover from her substance abuse issues.
Defense attorney Kelly Bryan noted his client hoped to counsel others addicted to drugs.
"I would argue Vera has something positive to offer to the community," he said, recommending Morgan be sentenced to 26 years in prison followed by four years on probation.
Craig recommended Morgan received a maximum 60-year sentence — 40 years for the dealing conviction with a 20-year penalty for being a habitual offender.
Feick — who said he believed Morgan had displayed a "lack of remorse" — imposed a 32-year sentence for the dealing conviction, with eight years added for the habitual offender finding.
Morgan said she intended to appeal her conviction and sentence.
Douglas Walker is a news reporter at The Star Press. Contact him at 765-213-5851 or at dwalker@muncie.gannett.com.
This article originally appeared on Muncie Star Press: Muncie woman sentenced to 40 years for role in fatal overdose
