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Mother of cocaine baby pleads guilty

June 13, 2008|TODD KLEFFMAN

The mother of a toddler who ingested cocaine last fall will not have to spend any time in prison if she stays out of trouble for the next five years.

Ashley Carrier, 21, pleaded guilty Thursday in Boyle Circuit Court to four counts of wanton endangerment. As part of a plea deal recommended by prosecutors, Carrier can avoid a four-year prison sentence by completing a five-year diversion program.

Judge Darren Peckler will sentence Carrier on Aug. 5. In asking the judge for a later sentencing date, public defender Melissa Bellew told Peckler that Carrier is nine months pregnant.

In September, Carrier was with her sister, Jessica Coffman, and four young children at their residence at 429 Chestnut St. After Carrier's son, who was 18 months old at the time, started acting strangely, he was taken to the emergency room of Ephraim McDowell Regional Medical Center, where he tested positive for cocaine.

A police investigation at the home turned up no cocaine but found the children had access to prescription drugs. The two women were apparently asleep or otherwise left the children unattended on the day when the boy was taken to the hospital.

"It created a wanton situation where these kids were potentially in grave danger," Commonwealth's Attorney Richie Bottoms said earlier.

Coffman pleaded guilty last month and was sentenced Tuesday to diversion instead of the recommended three-year prison sentence. Carrier got a recommended four-year sentence because Bottoms felt she was more "culpable."

The women are eligible for the diversion program because of their ages and because they have no previous felony convictions, Bottoms said.

Under the program, Carrier and Coffman will be supervised and subject to random drug testing and home visits. They cannot be arrested for any jailable offense and must pass all drug and alcohol screening.

Any violation of the program could result in the women having to serve their prison sentences.

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