Convicted drug dealer gets max sentence in Dearborn County

(LAWRENCEBURG, Ind.) – A Moores Hill man has received the maximum punishment after being convicted of dealing meth and cocaine in September. 

49-year-old Jerole Adams was sentenced to the maximum 30 years and also received an additional 20 years due to being deemed a habitual offender. 

Dearborn County Judge James Humphrey said the Habitual Offender enhancement reflected Adams’ criminal history. 

Adams has been charged with at least seven felonies since 1993. He was sentenced to prison in 2005 for selling methamphetamine within 1,000 feet of a school. 

He was paroled in 2023 and prosecutors say he continued to conduct criminal behavior.

Prosecutor Lynn Deddens added that Adams has been given opportunities to reform, such as probation and in-home detention, but they were deemed unsuccessful. 

“Evidence presented at trial demonstrated that Adams was a major drug dealer in the community, with thousands of dollars in cash in his possession at the time of his arrest, likely proceeds from illegal sales,” Deddens said.

Adams allegedly argued that he was motivated by his drug addiction, but prosecutors say he consistently tested negative for drug use while on parole. Additional witness testimony identified Adams as a dealer, not a user.