Published: May 08, 2008 05:32 pm            

Hancock pleads guilty to dealing drugs

Placed on probation

A Commerce woman has been placed on probation after pleading guilty to multiple charges of dealing drugs from her residence between late 2005 and early 2006.

Donna Michelle Hancock, 51, entered pleas of guilty April 29 to three counts of delivery of a controlled substance. Hancock also admitted to charges of possession of controlled substances.

Under a plea bargain arrangement, Hancock was placed on five years of deferred adjudication probation on each count.

Hancock was accused in the indictments of delivering amounts of dihydrocodeinone and methamphetamine to a confidential law enforcement informant from her home in Commerce on Dec. 20, 2005 and Jan. 23, 2006.

Under the agreement, Hancock admitted to, but was not formally convicted of, possessing quantities of methadone and methamphetamine during the same time period before she was arrested by the Commerce Police Department on Jan. 27, 2006.

She was indicted on all five charges by the Hunt County grand jury in January 2007. The sentences Hancock might have received for the possession charges were considered as part of her eventual punishment.

Deferred adjudication carries no finding of guilt, although those defendants who are found to have violated a deferred probation are subject to being sentenced to the maximum punishment.

Hancock could have received sentences of from 180 days to two years in a state jail on each of delivery charges.

        

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