Mother sentenced in toddler's death now faces drug charges

Brianna Volesky, sentenced Thursday to 10 years in prison for the death of her 2-year-old daughter Skylar Inman in 2008, was back in court today on nine methamphetamine charges.

Volesky, 20, of Cedar Rapids, was charged today in Linn County District Court with one count of conspiracy to manufacture methamphetamine and one count of possession of precursors between April 2009 and July 2010, and seven counts of violation of pseudoephedrine restrictions.

Sixth Judicial Associate District Judge Casey Jones set a bond of $32,000 for all charges.

Volesky asked the court to set a recognizance bond because she had been free on bond pending her reporting to the Iowa Medical and Classification Center in Oakdale to start her sentence for neglect of a child and involuntary manslaughter.

Jones denied it and set a preliminary hearing on the drug charges Nov. 1.

According to a criminal complaint, officers conducted an investigation  and found Volesky violated the pseudoephedrine restriction law on numerous occasions purchasing 114,700 milligrams from local pharmacies.

Officers conducted the search at Volesky's residence earlier this year and found evidence of methamphetamine use, according to criminal complaint.

The search was conducted in August during the first-degree murder trial of Lee Muldoon, 25, of Coggon, Volesky's ex-boyfriend, also sentenced Thursday to 10 years in prison for his part in Skylar's death.

First Assistant Linn County Attorney Nick Maybanks said during the trial the search turned up evidence that his star witness, Volesky, was using drugs and it compromised her credibility to testify against Muldoon and offered him a plea bargain. Volesky was going to testify about his abuse of Skylar.

Maybanks said the evidence in the search also called into question testimony by Karen Volesky, Brianna's grandmother, who said Brianna wasn't using drugs. The search was conducted at Karen Volesky's, where Brianna was living.