Dietiker accepts 10-year cap on prison term as part of plea; drug-induced homicide charges dropped

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Caitlin Dietiker | Photo courtesy of Adams County Jail

QUINCY — A Quincy woman pled guilty Wednesday afternoon in Adams County Circuit Court to two charges of unlawful delivery of a controlled substance in exchange for a prison term of no longer than 10 years.

Dietiker, 22, was set to enter a plea on May 11 when her attorney, public defender Todd Nelson, told Judge Roger Thomson that she had “concerns” after talking with her moments before her hearing was scheduled to begin. However, she changed her mind again on June 1 and agreed to make her plea Wednesday.

A grand jury in November determined enough evidence existed to prove Dietiker delivered less than one gram of a substance containing heroin to another person on March 4, 2021. Another grand jury in January determined enough evidence existed to prove Dietiker delivered less than one gram of a substance containing Xanax to another person on March 22, 2021.

Assistant state’s attorney Josh Jones told Thomson he had audio recording of Dietiker’s conversation with a confidential source — with a covert recording device — who bought the substance containing heroin during a sting. He also said he had text messages between Dietiker and the person who bought the substance with Xanax from her, plus a recording of an interview with Dietiker by the Quincy Police Department.

Dietiker faced a sentencing range of 3-7 years for the heroin charge. She faced a sentencing range of 2-5 years for the Xanax charge.

The January grand jury also believed enough evidence existed to prove Dietiker had delivered one gram of a substance containing Fentanyl to Jillian A. Hogan on March 22, 2021, and that Hogan’s ingestion of the substance caused her death. 

Dietiker eventually was charged with drug-induced homicide, a Class X felony punishable for between 15 and 30 years, and a third count of unlawful delivery of a controlled substance. Thomson dismissed those charges Wednesday as part of the plea agreement reached by Nelson and Jones.

Nelson said Dietiker was eligible for problems solving court and asked for a referral from Thomson. He said he would review the matter during an Aug. 3 status hearing.

EDITOR’S NOTE: Dieter’s age was incorrect in a previous version of this story.

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