Elkhart man sentenced to Cass County Jail on meth charges

Published 8:00 am Saturday, March 20, 2021

Getting your Trinity Audio player ready...

An Elkhart man was sentenced to 365 days in jail.

William C. Tavernier, 63, of Elkhart, pleaded guilty to possession of meth and operating while intoxicated and was sentenced to one year in jail on the meth charge. He has credit for 55 days served and must pay $1,608 in fines and costs. He was given a sentence of 93 days in jail with credit for 55 days served and $150 in fines and costs for drunk driving.

Tavernier was given until March 26 to turn himself into the jail.

The incident occurred Nov. 12, 2020, when police stopped him in Mason Township. He failed a sobriety test and was found to have a blood alcohol level of .125 as well as meth needles in the car.

Tavernier said he preferred to have straight jail rather than probation. “You are 63 years old. You use alcohol and meth and as an old dog, you have no desire to learn new tricks,” Judge Herman said. “So you have to expect to go to jail if you appear in court. I have a legal obligation to protect the community especially when you say you won’t change.”

In other sentencings:

Jonathan Jordan, 37, of Elkhart, pleaded guilty to possession of meth, possession of cocaine and possession of marijuana and was given credit for seven days served and fines and costs of $1,166. The incident occurred July 10, 2020 on Stateline Road in Edwardsburg. He has already been sentenced to prison on charges there.

Albert Daniel Toms, 44, of South Bend, pleaded guilty to drunk driving second offense and was sentenced to one year probation, credit for seven days served, 30 days community service, $1,125 in fines and costs and $73.14 restitution. The incident occurred Feb. 20, 2020, in Edwardsburg when police stopped him with a blood alcohol level of .11.