MUNCIE — "Guilty, your honor."
Former Muncie police officer Corey Posey admitted to lying on a police report about his fellow officer's excessive force on a suspect.
Posey appeared in court Tuesday and entered a guilty plea to Obstruction of Justice (Falsification of a Report) following two hung jury trials in 2023.
However, Judge Tanya Walton Pratt did not immediately accept his plea agreement, calling it "extremely lenient."
Posey had faced up to 10 years in prison, however, as part of the plea agreement he would serve one year probation including three months of home detention.
Posey would also have to relinquish his law enforcement certification and could not apply for another job as a sworn police officer.
Judge Walton Pratt took the matter under advisement and set the matter for January 31.
If she accepts the plea agreement, Posey will also be sentenced on January 31.
Posey is the final defendant in the federal government’s case against former Muncie Police officers — for police brutality or attempting to cover it up.
As part of the plea agreement, Posey would also have to participate in alcohol and mental health treatment.
Posey resigned from the Muncie Police Department on October 30.
Corey Posey was first charged with false reporting in 2021.
After two mistrials, the U.S. Attorney’s Office said they planned to pursue a third jury trial against Posey in January 2024.
The allegations against Corey Posey stem from a 2018 incident in which Posey is accused of writing a report that implied suspect Lonnie Gannom failed to comply with commands.
Posey omitted from the report that his colleague, Officer Chase Winkle, struck Gannom’s head and neck with his knee and also omitted that Winkle caused Gannom’s injuries, the indictment read.
Gannom suffered facial fractures as a result of Winkle’s excessive force.
“Posey's statements about this incident, including his under-oath testimony at trial, were not truthful or consistent with the facts of the incident,” read the plea agreement.
Four other former Muncie Police officers have already pleaded guilty in the federal government’s case against current and former Muncie Police officers for police brutality or attempting to cover it up.
During his last trial, Posey testified in his own defense and said he felt Gannom was not cooperating with his commands during the arrest and at one point pulled his arm away.
Posey said during the incident and while reviewing body camera footage of the incident, Posey was focused on his own actions not other officers, including Winkle.
Posey said that when he wrote the report, Posey knew he didn’t cause Gannom’s injuries. There were several officers at the scene but Posey didn’t know who caused the injuries, Posey testified.
Posey’s attorneys have pointed out that Posey was a rookie at the time, still in training, and that Sgt. Joseph Krejsa was expected to do an investigation of the Gannom incident.
Posey’s attorney also emphasized Posey wrote in his report that Gannom suffered “possible facial fractures” and had to be transported to the hospital.
Muncie Police Chief Nathan Sloan also testified and said regarding Posey’s report on the Gannom incident, “I don’t believe it’s a lie.”
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Sgt. Brent Brown, a retired Muncie Police physical tactics instructor, testified that officers are trained to document use of force by themselves and other officers.
Corey Posey has another criminal case pending.
He was arrested for drunk driving after Kokomo police said he rear-ended another vehicle on US 31, and a certified chemical test revealed his blood alcohol concentration was .087, which is above the legal limit of .08.
Howard County prosecutors filed formal charges against Posey for:
- Operating a Vehicle While Intoxicated Endangering a Person
- Oper Veh w/ Alcohol Concentration Equivalent to at Least .08 but Less than .15
A jury trial in that case is scheduled for March 2024.
