INDIANAPOLIS, IN – Cody Steele, 41, of Indianapolis, is headed to federal prison for 18 years after pleading guilty to distributing methamphetamine and carrying a firearm during a drug trafficking crime. The sentence, handed down Wednesday, closes a case riddled with drug dealing, brutal domestic abuse, and a brazen disregard for the law, according to court documents.
The case began May 27, 2021, when Indianapolis Metropolitan Police Department (IMPD) officers responded to reports of shots fired on the southeast side of the city. Witnesses described a red Hummer speeding away from a vehicle it had just shot at. Officers quickly located the Hummer and its driver, Cody Steele. Inside, they found approximately 404 grams of pure methamphetamine stashed in a plastic bag on the driver’s seat. A loaded .38 caliber revolver, complete with five spent casings, lay on the passenger side floor. A stolen 7.62mm assault rifle was discovered outside the vehicle. Steele also had $1,853 in cash on his person, evidence pointing to a full-blown drug trafficking operation.
But the meth and guns were only part of the story. Investigators soon uncovered a horrifying pattern of abuse. Earlier that same day, Steele subjected a woman to a relentless and terrifying domestic assault. When she attempted to leave him shortly after midnight, Steele struck her, threatened to kill her dogs if she tried again, and then physically assaulted her further, throwing a dog chain at her face. He damaged her car, preventing her escape, and then pursued her in his vehicle, holding her hostage and escalating the violence. The victim detailed how Steele drove her around for hours, refusing to let her leave, biting her on the arm when she attempted to escape, and even ramming her car into oncoming traffic after she finally tried to break free.
The woman was eventually aided by bystanders and employees of nearby businesses, who helped her retrieve one of her dogs during a physical struggle with Steele. She initially feared reporting the abuse to police, terrified of losing her animals. But the escalating violence, culminating in the vehicle ramming and a gunshot, forced her to seek help. Responding officers found her with visible bruising and swelling around her eye, a facial laceration, and blood on her clothing – clear evidence of the brutal beating she endured.
This wasn’t Steele’s first brush with the law. He boasts a lengthy criminal history, including felony convictions for domestic battery, child molestation of a ten-year-old victim, and escape. Each of those convictions already prohibited him from legally possessing a firearm. A misdemeanor conviction for violating a no-contact order with his wife further demonstrates a pattern of disregard for the law and the safety of others. The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Indiana clearly viewed Steele as a dangerous repeat offender, seeking a substantial prison sentence.
“This violent, repeat criminal is simply a menace to those close to him and to the community at large,” a Department of Justice spokesperson stated. The 18-year sentence sends a clear message that armed drug trafficking and domestic violence will not be tolerated in Indiana, and that those who prey on vulnerable individuals will face the full force of federal law. The case was prosecuted by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Indiana.
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Key Facts
- Agency: ATF
- Category: Drug Trafficking|Violent Crime|Weapons
- Source: Official Press Release
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