Bloomington man faces 2 drug felony charges
JACKSON TWP. — A Bloomington man was charged with two felonies for drug possession after police found drugs in his vehicle and then later in a pack of cigarettes he had with him while being booked into the jail.
Brown County Sheriff’s Deputy William Pool initiated a traffic stop on State Road 45 after he observed a vehicle with expired plates driving erratically, a probable cause affidavit states.
Pool made contact with the driver, later identified as James Mcindoo, 47, of Bloomington, and explained the reason for the stop. Mcindoo told Pool he was going to the Bureau of Motor Vehicles that day to renew his plates.
Pool asked Mcindoo to wait in his patrol vehicle as he wrote the citation for an expired license plate. Before entering the vehicle, Mcindoo told Pool there was a knife in his front right pocket. He removed the knife and left it in his car, according to the affidavit.
After telling Pool there were no illegal substances in the vehicle, Mcindoo gave Pool consent to search his vehicle. Pool reported finding a clear plastic bag with marijuana inside in Mcindoo’s gym bag. He told Pool that he purchased it from a friend. Pool placed Mcindoo into handcuffs and continued a probable cause search of the vehicle.
Pool found a pouch with two capped syringes inside of the vehicle. Mcindoo said that they belonged to a friend.
Mcindoo was then arrested for unlawful possession of the syringes. At the Brown County jail, staff reportedly found drugs that Mcindoo had tried to hide in the booking area in a cigarette pack.
Capt. Kenneth Moore told Pool that he noticed a red cigarette pack on the floor, underneath the spot where Mcindoo had been sitting. Inside, officers found a small plastic bag with a white crystal substance believed to be methamphetamine.
Police then conducted a strip search of Mcindoo and found a short piece of cut straw with the same white crystal substance inside.
Mcindoo told police he did not know about any methamphetamine, but he eventually told police it was his. He told police he did not purchase it in Brown County and did not know anyone in Brown County.
Mcindoo was charged on Aug. 11 with possession of methamphetamine, a Level 6 Felony; unlawful possession of syringe, a Level 6 Felony; possession of marijuana, a Class B Misdemeanor; and possession of paraphernalia, a Class C Misdemeanor.
Motorcycle’s brakes lock, cause crash on 135
VAN BUREN TWP. — One person was injured after a motorcycle’s brakes locked, causing the driver to lose control and crash on State Road 135 South earlier this fall.
According to the accident report by Sgt. Colton Magner with the Brown County Sheriff’s Department, the crash occurred near Sunshine Ridge Road on State Road 135 South Sept. 18.
When Magner arrived on scene he reported finding Jodi Wickes, 54, of Lafayette, on the edge of the pavement and Christopher Wickes, 49, also of Lafayette, helping her.
Jodi said she had back pain and road rash on her left leg.
Christopher said he and Jodi were traveling northbound entering a downhill 90 degree curve. They were starting to slow due to an upcoming curve when the back brake locked and would not break free.
He said he lost control and laid the motorcycle down before falling off in the road. The bike continued to slide onto the side of the road under a guardrail.
Jodi was transported to a hospital by ambulance for further treatment. Christopher had an abrasion to his left elbow, but it did not require treatment, according to the accident report.
Driver slid off Lick Creek Road
JACKSON TWP. — Deputies with the Brown County Sheriff’s Department responded to a crash on South Lick Creek Road Oct. 25 after a driver slid off the road.
The vehicle was driven by Hlawn C. Chin, 58, of Indianapolis. Deputy Michael Horn reported that Chin said he had slid off the road due to wet pavement.
Chin complained of pain to his head, but refused transport to a hospital by EMS.
Refusal to stop for police results in felony
A Nashville man has been charged with a Level 6 felony for resisting law enforcement after not stopping for police during a traffic stop on Aug. 12.
Chad Cherry, 47, of Nashville, was formally charged on Aug. 20 with the felony and a Class A misdemeanor for driving with a suspended license.
The charges stem from when Nashville Police Patrolman Billy Bryant was driving west on State Road 46 behind a car with which he had previous encounters. The vehicle turned onto Snyder Hill and then onto Old State Road 46.
After running the plates and finding the registered owner did not have a valid drivers license, Bryant initiated his emergency lights, but the vehicle did not stop, according to the probable cause affidavit.
Bryant used his horn and reportedly saw the driver look at him in the rearview mirror. The vehicle continued down Main Street without stopping. The vehicle turned left onto Robert “Buck” Stogsdill Way and did not stop. It finally came to a complete stop in the parking lot of Artist Colony Inn.
Bryant made contact with Cherry and asked him to keep both hands outside of the vehicle. After complying with the request, Cherry then pulled his hands back into the car, according to the affidavit.
Bryant then instructed Cherry to exit the vehicle to turn his back to him and walk slowly backwards with his hands in the air. Cherry reportedly faced Bryant and walked towards him with his hands at his side. Bryant walked towards Cherry and placed him into handcuffs.
Bryant then recognized Cherry from a previous traffic stop in March for driving while suspended. Cherry told Bryant his license was still suspended.
Bryant said in the report that he smelled a strong odor of alcohol on Cherry and conducted a breath test, which indicated a blood alcohol level of 0.058 percent. He told police he had a few beers earlier in the day.
Cherry told police he did not stop when he saw the lights because he was trying to find a safe place to pull over. After Bryant listed numerous places Cherry could have stopped, Cherry said the last time he was stopped his vehicle was towed.
Cherry was transported to Brown County jail.
Man charged with multiple felonies
HAMBLEN TWP. — A local man faces felony and misdemeanor charges following a traffic stop on Aug. 14.
Brown County Sheriff’s Deputy Austin Schonfeld was parked at the intersection of Sweetwater Trail and Ford Ridge Road when he observed a vehicle traveling east on Ford Ridge Road.
It came to a stop at a stop sign and Schonfeld recognized the driver as Ronny Wagers, 44, of Nashville, who had a suspended driver’s license.
Schonfeld followed the vehicle and initiated a traffic stop on Brocks Lane. Wagers said he was driving back to his residence from a home on Ford Ridge Road. He told Schonfeld was supposed to get his driver’s license soon, a probable cause affidavit states.
He also told police he had purchased the vehicle from a relative and did not know if the vehicle was stolen.
After running the vehicle information, Schonfeld discovered it had been reported stolen in April. Wagers said he had the vehicle for about a month. Schonfeld noted he had ran the license plate on the vehicle two to three months prior when it was parked at Wagers’ home.
Schonfeld searched the vehicle and reported finding a box with five syringes. He told police he had never seen the box and that he did not “shoot up methamphetamine,” but smoked it a few days prior. He said the box belonged to someone else who had been in the vehicle recently, the affidavit states.
Wagers was arrested. After he was put into Schonfeld’s patrol vehicle, he advised that he had placed paraphernalia in his pants that was in the ash tray to avoid getting in trouble and that the paraphernalia did not belong to him.
Wagers was charged on Aug. 16 with auto theft, a Level 6 felony; possession of methamphetamine, a Level 6 felony; unlawful possession of syringe, a Level 6 felony; driving while suspended, Class A misdemeanor; and possession of paraphernalia, Class C misdemeanor.
