A 17-year-old from Indianapolis is now staring down adult charges in Hancock Circuit Court after a McCordsville traffic stop last September that police say turned up multiple firearms and large quantities of suspected drugs. Zacharyeus J. Barbee was charged as an adult this week and had been released from juvenile detention on his own recognizance on Feb. 25, with a court order to report to the Hancock County jail by 8 a.m. on March 6. The case combines felony and misdemeanor counts and is now moving under adult-court procedures.
Barbee faces a Level 2 felony count of dealing in a scheduled drug, a Level 6 felony charge of possession with intent to deliver a Schedule I drug, and Class A misdemeanor counts for dealing marijuana and unlawful carrying of a handgun, according to the Greenfield Reporter. The outlet reports he posted a $5,000 cash bond and that his case was opened in Hancock Circuit Court on Feb. 25. An 18-year-old Indianapolis resident, Darin Levon Gudger, has also been charged in connection with the Sept. 21 stop.
How Indiana decides whether to try juveniles in adult court
Indiana law gives prosecutors and judges several paths to move a youth into adult criminal court for serious felonies, and the state does not set a minimum age for transfer, which means 16- and 17-year-olds can be tried as adults in certain situations. As outlined by NACDL and discussed by the Indiana Supreme Court in State v. Neukam, courts weigh factors that include the youth's age at the time of the alleged crime, how serious the offense is and whether the juvenile is considered amenable to rehabilitation when deciding whether to waive a case into adult court. That legal framework will guide how Hancock County handles Barbee's case.
Police say the stop turned up guns, ammo and drugs
According to court documents detailed by the Greenfield Reporter, officers pulled the vehicle over after noticing a passenger-side headlight was out and smelling raw marijuana. Police reported finding a Beretta-type 92, a Century Arms Micro Draco, a large firearm magazine resting between the passenger's left leg and the center console, and multiple rounds of 7.62×39 and 9 mm ammunition. Officers also say they recovered roughly 73 grams of a green leafy substance consistent with marijuana, approximately 45.5 grams and 3.6 grams of a white-and-brown plant-like substance consistent with psychedelic mushrooms, a multicolored square tab and a 0.8-gram square consistent with LSD, and eight THC vape cartridges.
Legal implications
If prosecutors secure convictions on the counts filed in circuit court, the potential penalties are substantial. A Level 2 felony in Indiana carries a statutory sentencing range that can reach up to about 30 years in prison, while a Level 6 felony generally carries a much shorter term, plus possible fines, according to Justia. Judges will also have to consider waiver standards and juvenile-code factors in deciding whether to impose adult punishments, so any final sentence will hinge on how the court applies those rules. For now, Barbee's charges continue through Hancock Circuit Court as prosecutors and defense counsel sort discovery and set hearings.
What happens next
Prosecutors are expected to move ahead with pretrial scheduling and discovery in Hancock Circuit Court, while defense lawyers may challenge adult prosecution at the appropriate hearings. The case remains active, and upcoming court filings will determine how waiver or direct-file procedures ultimately place Barbee under adult sentencing rules.
