Lisa Hanna#38671-018
Federal Sentence: 235 months (19 years, 7 months)
Offense: Methamphetamine conspiracy
Court: Northern District of Indiana
Priors: DUI ('94); Possession of drug paraphernalia and possession of marijuana ('98). The instant offense violated her probation on the paraphernalia charge.
Year of Sentencing: 2000
Year of Birth: 1963
Projected Release Date: 10/15/2016
Nature of Offense: Lisa’s downward spiral began when her nine-year-old son, Steven who suffered from cerebral palsy, passed away. Lisa, only seven months away from graduating law school, sank into a deep depression. Instead of seeking the treatment she needed, she drank heavily, gained 65 pounds, and within five years had developed a severe methamphetamine addiction. She also married her live-in boyfriend, a man who spent her money and sent her to the emergency room on several occasions.
To sustain her meth addiction, Lisa and a friend arranged for the drug to be sent to him in Indiana from a supplier in California. Lisa’s friend distributed some of that meth to his associates, who in turn gave money to him for Lisa to send back to the supplier. When Lisa’s husband found out about this arrangement, he decided to turn it into a business and recruit more customers. Authorities found that Lisa's husband became actively involved and “exercised greater control over Hanna’s methamphetamine distribution network in order to ensure that sufficient funds were being generated.” Lisa never profited from the sale of drugs and in fact went into enormous debt, depleting her savings in order to maintain her personal supply of drugs.
In 1998, after being treated for her major depressive disorder, Lisa passed the Indiana bar exam and left her husband. A few months later, the conspiracy was busted and her estranged husband agreed to snitch on her in exchange for a reduced sentence. His story portrayed her as the most culpable member of the conspiracy, responsible for the distribution of at least 15 kilograms of methamphetamine. Threatened with a potential guideline sentence of 262-327 months, Lisa accepted a plea bargain of 235 months.
Sentences of Others Involved: Lisa received the longest sentence of anyone in the conspiracy: her original partner received 110 months, her husband received 87 months, and the other 12 participants all received sentences ranging from 33 to 87 months.
Personal Background: Lisa’s substance abuse problems date back to her teenage years. At age 15, she spent 4 days in an alcohol-induced coma. Her long history of medical problems also includes a series of botched oral surgeries, hip surgery, ovarian surgery, a hysterectomy and a broken pelvis. During her treatment for depression, she was diagnosed with “bipolar disorder”. Her achievements include five years of decorated service in the U.S. Army, a B.A. in Political Science, and a law degree. She plans to save up her UNICOR salary to pay for MBA courses. Lisa has been a homeowner and has worked all of her life. She has remained devoted to rehabilitation and has participated in a 40-hour drug program as well as Narcotics Anonymous and Alcoholics Anonymous. She has also taken multiple vocational and educational courses. Additionally, Lisa tutors other prisoners for the GED in her free time and has taught many to read.
Compiled from PreSentence Report and prisoner information.
5/8/01 dl updated 8/3/05 ba