Mark Anthony Freeman v. State of Indiana

Indiana Court of Appeals·Decided December 16, 2025·No. 25A-CR-00799·Published

Opinion

FILED

Dec 16 2025, 8:50 am

CLERK

Indiana Supreme Court

Court of Appeals

and Tax Court

IN THE

Court of Appeals of Indiana Mark Anthony Freeman,

Appellant-Defendant

v.

State of Indiana,

Appellee-Plaintiff

December 16, 2025

Court of Appeals Case No.

25A-CR-799

Appeal from the Tippecanoe Superior Court The Honorable Randy J. Williams, Judge Trial Court Cause No.

79D01-2310-F2-71

Opinion by Judge Pyle

Judges Vaidik and Mathias concur.

Pyle, Judge.

Statement of the Case [1] Mark Anthony Freeman (“Freeman”) appeals his conviction, following a jury

trial, for Level 2 felony dealing in a Schedule I controlled substance.1 Freeman argues that there is insufficient evidence to support his conviction. Concluding that the evidence is sufficient, we affirm Freeman’s conviction.

[2] We affirm.

Issue Whether there is sufficient evidence to support Freeman’s conviction.

Facts [3] On October 24, 2023, Freeman was at an apartment complex that was

connected to a transitional housing center. The safety and shelter manager of the transitional housing center (“the manager”), who had previously given Freeman a trespass warning, observed Freeman carrying a backpack and going “into multiple apartments for a short amount of time.” (Tr. Vol. 2 at 219). The manager contacted the police to escort Freeman off the property. When officers from the Lafayette Police Department (“the officers”) arrived, the manager and

1 IND. CODE § 35-48-4-2. Freeman was also convicted of Level 5 felony possession of methamphetamine and Class C misdemeanor possession of paraphernalia, but he does not challenge these convictions on appeal. Additionally, we note that, while Freeman asserts that he is also challenging his conviction for possession of a controlled substance, we need not address that issue because the trial court vacated that possession conviction during Freeman’s sentencing hearing.

Court of Appeals of Indiana | Opinion 25A-CR-799 | December 16, 2025 Page 2 of 19 the officers reviewed surveillance video to see the last apartment that Freeman had entered and then went to that apartment.

[4] Ultimately, the officers searched Freeman and found $1,032 in cash and two plastic baggies containing a white crystalline substance. One of the baggies contained multiple smaller baggies or “dime bags” of the white crystalline substance.2 (Tr. Vol. 2 at 180). Thereafter, the officers obtained a search warrant to search Freeman’s backpack and discovered a large plastic baggie and larger grocery bag that both contained “a plant-like material that [the officers had] come to associate as spice.” (Tr. Vol. 2 at 188). Additionally, the officers found a digital scale, three pipes, and several empty “dime bags[.]” (Tr. Vol. 2 at 188). The Indiana State Police Lab (“the Lab”) later tested the substances and determined that the white crystalline substance was methamphetamine and had a total weight of 5.26 grams and that the plant-like material contained “ADB Butinaca” and had a total weight of 114 grams. (Tr. Vol. 2 at 235). At the time of Freeman’s offense, ADB Butinaca was not on the statutory list of Schedule I controlled substances.3

[5] The State charged Freeman with Level 2 felony dealing in a Schedule I controlled substance, Class A misdemeanor possession of a controlled substance, Level 3 felony dealing in methamphetamine, Level 5 felony

2 Dime bags are smaller baggies that are typically “used for distribution[.] (Tr. Vol. 2 at 180).

3 Effective July 1, 2024, ADB Butinaca was included in the list of Scheduled I controlled substances in INDIANA CODE § 35-48-2-4.

Court of Appeals of Indiana | Opinion 25A-CR-799 | December 16, 2025 Page 3 of 19 possession of methamphetamine, and Class C misdemeanor possession of paraphernalia. For the Level 2 felony dealing in a Schedule I controlled substance charge, the State based that charge on Freeman possessing ADB Butinaca as a controlled substance analog and specifically alleged that Freeman “possess[ed], with intent to deliver, . . . a controlled substance analog, pure or adulterated, classified in Schedule I, to wit: a Synthetic Drug, and the amount of the drug involved was at least twenty-eight (28) grams[.]” (App. Vol. 2 at 14).

[6] In January 2025, the trial court held a three-day jury trial. During the trial, the forensic scientist from the Lab (“the forensic scientist”) testified about his testing of the plant-like material that he had determined to contain ADB Butinaca. The forensic scientist testified that, at the time of Freeman’s offense in 2023, ADB Butinaca was not considered to be a controlled substance but that it had “a substantially similar structure to ADB Pinaca, which is a controlled substance.” (Tr. Vol. 2 at 235).4 Additionally, the forensic scientist’s lab report, which was admitted into evidence, provided that ADB Butinaca had “a substantially similar structure” to ADB Pinaca. (State’s Ex. 29). According to the forensic scientist, ADB Butinaca was substantially similar to ADB Pinaca because it had “one difference in [its] structure.” (Tr. Vol. 2 at 236).

4 At the time of Freeman’s offense, “[s]ynthetic drugs as defined in IC 35-31.5-2-321” were included in the list of Schedule I controlled substances, see I.C. § 35-48-2-4 (2023), and ADB Pinaca was included in that statutory list of synthetic drugs. See I.C. § 35-31.5-2-321(1)(JJJJ) (2023). INDIANA CODE § 35-31.5-2-321 was amended, effective July 1, 2025, and ADB Pinaca continues to be included in the statutory list of synthetic drugs. See I.C. § 35-31.5-2-321(1) (2025).

Court of Appeals of Indiana | Opinion 25A-CR-799 | December 16, 2025 Page 4 of 19

Specifically, the ADB Butinaca “has [a] butane structure, which is a four- carbon chain, and then the Pinaca has a five-carbon chain.” (Tr. Vol. 2 at 237).

[7] During cross-examination, Freeman’s counsel asked the forensic scientist if he could “testify as to [the] specific effects of [ADB Butinaca and ADB Pinaca] on the human nervous system.” (Tr. Vol. 2 at 239). The forensic scientist replied that he could not provide testimony on such effects because that subject was “outside of [his] area of expertise.” (Tr. Vol. 2 at 239). When Freeman’s counsel asked whether the forensic scientist could “tell . . . whether or not [ADB Butinaca and ADB Pinaca] have a similar, greater than or less than effect on the human nervous system,” the forensic scientist responded that he was “unable to make any [such] claims.” (Tr. Vol. 2 at 239).

[8] Thereafter, the State called a drug task force detective (“the drug detective”) as a witness. The drug detective, who had experience with narcotics investigations, testified about the factors involved in showing the difference between a drug dealer and a drug user, including the amount of drugs and the possession of a scale, baggies for distribution, and additional money. The State questioned the drug detective about “spice[,]” and the drug detective testified that “[s]pice is a synthetic cannabinoid” and is a “leafy substance” that is sprayed with various chemicals. (Tr. Vol. 2 at 248). Thereafter, the drug detective testified that spice has a “similar effect, but more adverse effect as far as THC and cannabis” and that it has “a harder high compared to just marijuana.” (Tr. Vol. 2 at 248). Additionally, the drug detective opined, based on his review of the evidence from this case, that “[i]t appeared that [Freeman] was dealing[.]” (Tr. Vol. 3 at 2).

[9] The State also questioned the drug detective about a jail call that Freeman had made the day after being arrested, and the State played that phone call for the jury. During that phone call, Freeman talked about the dealing charges against him and mentioned both “spice” and “ice” or methamphetamine. (Tr. Vol. 3 at 6). Additionally, Freeman discussed the weight of drugs and dollar amounts either paid or owed to him for spice.

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