Prosecutor criticizes sentence reduction in drug case
MUNCIE, Ind. — A judge's decision this week to reduce the prison term of a convicted drug dealer drew criticism from Delaware County Prosecutor Eric Hoffman.
Tyson M. McCoy, 44, was sentenced to five years in prison in April 2019 after pleading guilty to dealing in cocaine.
Delaware Circuit Court Judge Kimberly Dowling in a Monday court order agreed to suspend the remainder of McCoy's sentence. He will be on probation through July 26, the date the Muncie man would otherwise have been released, according to a state Department of Correction website.
McCoy "desires to start a new life in Marion County in order to separate himself from old habits and relationships," according to a court document.
Deputy Prosecutor Andrew Ramirez had objected to Tyson's bid for an early release from prison.
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Hoffman later issued a statement on this week's ruling.
Noting the 2019 sentencing order referring to Tyson's drug-related activities as "a danger to society," Hoffman said, "I am quite perplexed as to why this early release was granted over our objection.
"It seems to me that if all of these aggravators were found by the court, prison is exactly where Mr. McCoy belongs."
The prosecutor released a list with names of five other defendants, four of them convicted of dealing drugs, who were granted sentence modifications by Judge Dowling.
“I do not comprehend nor support the notion of letting violent felons and drug dealers modify out of prison simply because they have done ‘well’ while in prison," Hoffman said.
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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: Hoffman critical of judge's decision to reduce dealer's sentence
