From Decatur County Prosecuting Attorney Nathan Harter
Terry Criss, Jr. was sentenced on January 24, 2023 by Judge Tim Day in the Decatur Circuit Court, after pleading guilty to Level 3 Felony Dealing in Methamphetamine and Level 4 Felony Possession of a Firearm by a Serious Violent Felon. Criss also admitted to being an Habitual Offender. The parties entered a plea agreement in which Criss was sentenced to 11 total years, all in prison. This sentence will be served consecutively to any sentence Criss receives in his four other felony cases in other counties.
The State was represented by Prosecuting Attorney Nate Harter. Harter noted Criss’s criminal history began in 1992.
Mr. Criss has a prior conviction for Class B Felony Child Molesting, ten prior felony theft convictions in other counties, felony Criminal Confinement, felony Resisting Law Enforcement, False Informing, Operating While Intoxicated, three convictions for Conversion, and three convictions for Battery.
Harter wants to recognize the officers who responded to this call and whose investigation launched this case, including Greensburg PD Officers Peyton Gerkin, Matt Terkhorn, Jacob Mays and K9 Kato, and Detective Mike Colson.
Harter expressed satisfaction with the outcome. “This result was obtained by strong police work. An after-midnight call for service for an unresponsive male at the Speedway gas station turned into an investigation into Mr. Criss’s drug dealing activity, which he described in detail later to Detective Colson. I think justice was done here, especially given that Mr. Criss has four other felony cases in other counties to resolve, in addition to our 11 year sentence.”
