Christopher William Alley
The owner and employees of the former “The What You Want” store in Syracuse were sentenced earlier this week in Kosciusko Circuit Court.
Following the plea agreements entered in August, Judge Michael Reed, accepted their pleas and issued sentences.
Christopher W. Alley will report to the Kosciusko County Sheriff’s Department at 6 p.m. Thursday, where he will begin serving two years on the charge of corrupt business influence, a class C felony and 1½ years for the crime of dealing in a synthetic drug, a class D felony. His sentence will be served concurrently in the county work release program. He was given two days credit on each charge for time already served.
Ashley Marie Ward
Ashley M. Ward and Dale R. Alley were each given a sentence of one year for dealing in a synthetic drug, a class A misdemeanor, with suspended sentences, being placed on probation. Dale Alley’s charges of corrupt business influence and a second charge of dealing in a synthetic drug were dismissed. Ward’s second count of corrupt business influence was also dropped. Both were given two days credit for time already served.
Fines and costs were also ordered against each one, with Christopher Alley also responsible for restitution to Syracuse Police Department.
Alley stated in court he was “not going to deny the allegations,” and the other two defendants in the case “were following the information I had given them.” Reed encouraged Alley to “learn from this. It can’t be tolerated.”
While Ward did not speak to the court before her sentence, Reed noted he wasn’t sure if he believed Alley or not. “I will take him at his word and you at your word. We’ll find out,” he stated. In noting the rules of probation and results of any violation, Reed told Ward serving her sentence in jail for violation of probation “is not a threat. It is the way it is. You have the keys to the jail cell.”
Dale Alley apologized for what he did. “I didn’t know I was doing something wrong at that time, or I wouldn’t have done it.” Reed admonished the 58-year-old he was “old enough to know better.” Reed also added as explained to Ward on the terms of violation, “it’s up to you.”
Dale R. Alley
The trio were arrested almost one year ago after police served a search warrant at “The What You Want” store, 503 S. Huntington St., Sept. 20.
The business, operated by Christopher Alley, had been under investigation by Syracuse Police and the Indiana State Police for several months relating to sales of synthetic cannabinoid, also known as spice or K2.
Undercover purchases of the products were made by authorities and tested. Tests determined the substance being sold was illegal. A search warrant resulted in police finding more than 100 packages of the synthetic drug along with records of transactions.