Scam alert from Indiana State Police

BLOOMINGTON — The Indiana State Police Bloomington Post received several complaints last week from local citizens reporting a phone scam using the ISP name.

The scammer called people with the caller ID showing “Indiana State Police” and the number 812-332-4411. The scammer identified himself as an ISP officer and told the citizen that he was the victim of ID theft. The scammer then asked the citizen to go to a local store and obtain a pre-paid credit card or gift card. The money would then be used to help clear up the alleged identity theft.

One person was suspicious and immediately reported the incident to law enforcement.

ISP reminds all Hoosiers that these types of phone scammers are pervasive and technically savvy. Scammers will often play on emotions and fears in order to get to money.

The easiest way to protect yourself from being scammed over the phone is either to ignore unsolicited calls from unknown callers or just hang up when something does not seem right.

“You should never provide any information over the phone to an unknown caller regarding your personal identity, social security number, bank account(s) or credit card number(s),” an ISP press release states.

If in doubt, or if you feel you may have fallen victim to a phone scammer, just hang up and immediately report the incident to your local law enforcement agency.

Morgantown man faces multiple drug charges

BEAN BLOSSOM — A Morgantown man faces three Level 6 felony drug charges after police reported seeing him driving when he wasn’t allowed to do so.

Deputies Austin Schonfeld and William Pool with the Brown County Sheriff’s Department were parked on Aug. 10 at St. David’s Episcopal Church in Bean Blossom when they saw a driver in the parking lot of the Dollar General. Officers were familiar with the driver, Joseph Matthew, 39, of Morgantown, and discovered that his driving status was suspended.

Schonfeld reported that Matthew’s hands were shaking, he was stuttering when he spoke and there were open sores on his forearms. The passenger agreed to a search of the vehicle.

Officers reported finding a backpack in the back seat, which the passenger said was there when they got the vehicle. Schonfeld requested permission to search the backpack and found a cigar box used as a “drug kit,” containing a white crystalline substance believed to be methamphetamine, a brown powdered substance believed to be heroin, an unused syringe, drug paraphernalia and a scale.

Matthew was transported to the Brown County jail.

He was later charged with unlawful possession of a syringe, a Level 6 felony; possession of methamphetamine, a Level 6 felony; possession of a narcotic drug, a Level 6 felony; and possession of paraphernalia, a Class C misdemeanor.

Traffic stop leads to drug charge

BEAN BLOSSOM — A Bloomington man faces a Level 6 felony for possession of a syringe after an officer pulled him over for broken taillights.

Brown County Sheriff’s Deputy Austin Schonfeld was parked at St. David’s Episcopal Church in Bean Blossom on Aug. 10 when he reported seeing a truck pulling a trailer east on State Road 45, with failing taillights on the trailer.

The truck continued from 45 to Gatesville Road, where Schonfeld initiated a traffic stop. The driver, Timothy White, 31, of Bloomington, told him the lights had just gone out and he was taking the trailer to someone for repair.

Nashville Patrolman Cody Poynter and Deputy Kyle Minor arrived on scene. Poynter was granted permission to search the vehicle. An unused syringe was found in the back seat in a pair of shorts, which White said belonged to him, the probable cause affidavit states.

White was arrested and later charged with unlawful possession of a syringe, a Level 6 felony.

Woman faces charges for throwing knife, attempted escape and battery

HAMBLEN TWP. — A Bloomington woman faces criminal charges for allegedly throwing a knife and striking another person with it.

The victim told Det. Paul Henderson with the Brown County Sheriff’s Department that on July 21 Charlee Hazelbaker, 24, of Bloomington, had thrown a knife during a domestic dispute on Vaught Road. The person’s elbow was cut and bleeding.

Hazelbaker was charged with criminal recklessness, a Level 6 felony, and criminal mischief, a Class B misdemeanor.

On Aug. 21, jail officer Jason White was collecting dinner drays at the Brown County Jail. He was at the padded cell to get Hazelbaker’s tray. She had been booked into the jail on Aug. 15 for two warrants.

According to a probable cause affidavit, Hazelbaker lunged at White while he opened the cell door and she ran past him into the booking area hallway.

White attempted to gain control of Hazelbaker to put her back into the cell. She began fighting back, slamming the door to the cell shut before before White could get her into it. She continued to resist White’s attempts to control her and he implemented a “takedown technique” to place her onto the floor of the padded cell.

Both were in the padded cell when the door closed behind them and a control lock locked the door. White released his hold on Hazelbaker to get up from the floor and the door was unlocked for White to exit.

While the door was opening, Hazelbaker pushed by White to escape back into the booking hallway again. White pursued her back out of the cell and had to grab her to take control of Hazelbaker. The door to the padded cell closed and locked them out in the hallway.

While White was struggling with Hazelbaker, she attempted to grab White’s gun belt and was able to grab the taser handgrip, but it did not come out of the holster. White was able to get Hazelbaker pushed up against the wall to control her, at which point Hazelbaker bit White’s arm, according to the affidavit.

After Hazelbaker was under control and back in the cell, White examined the bite to his arm and found the skin was not broken, but had a bite mark and was blood blistered. He went to the hospital for treatment.

Capt. Michael Moore met with Hazelbaker on Aug. 23 and she gave a written statement. She admitted to biting White and believed she was treated with excessive force and has been harassed by jail staff.

Hazelbaker was charged with attempt escape, a Level 5 felony; battery resulting in bodily injury to a public safety official, Level 5 felony; and resisting law enforcement, Class A misdemeanor.