Police: Man had meth, marijuana in vehicle
HAMBLEN TWP. — A traffic stop for a busted taillight on March 8 resulted in a Franklin man being charged with a felony and misdemeanors for possession of drugs.
Brown County Sheriff’s Deputy Austin Schonfeld was parked at the Neighborhood Church of God parking lot when he saw a silver Chevrolet Trailblazer with a busted tallight driving north on Sweetwater Trail, according to an incident report. When he ran the license plate, it returned to a red Chevrolet Silverado. Schonfeld stopped the vehicle in the 8300 block of Sweetwater Trail.
As he was walking up the vehicle, the driver, 45-year-old Jeremy Payton, leaned out the window to say he knew the plates did not belong on the Trailblazer and the owner had let him borrow the vehicle to go to a court date in Johnson County, the report states.
Schonfeld asked Payton if there was anything illegal in the vehicle and Payton said no. He gave Schonfeld consent to search, the report states. Schonfeld reported finding a grinder with marijuana in the center console. In the cupholder of a child seat in the backseat, Schonfeld found a chewing tobacco can which contained marijuana and the corner of a plastic baggie. The baggie corner contained a brown crystal-like substance that field-tested positive for methamphetamine. The meth was also mixed in with the suspected marijuana, according to Schonfeld’s report.
Payton said he forgot the marijuana grinder was in the car. When Schonfeld showed him the chewing tobacco can, Payton reportedly threw his hands up and denied the can being his. He began to cry and said that the can belonged to a man he had given a ride to previously, the report said.
Payton was charged on April 6 with possession of methamphetamine, a Level 6 felony; and two misdemeanors for possession of marijuana and paraphernalia.
Local man faces felonies for confinement, battery
Police say a 22-year-old Brown County man injured another man on April 3 as he tried to prevent him from leaving a house.
Jacob Linderman was charged April 12 with criminal confinement and battery resulting in moderate bodily injury, both Level 6 felonies.
Officers responded to a home in the 5600 block of State Road 46 West for a disturbance where someone was injured, according to a probable cause affidavit by Sgt. Colton Magner with the Brown County Sheriff’s Department. Linderman told the officer he was outside doing landscaping work when he was asked by a relative to not let the victim leave. When the victim came out to leave, he said he stepped in front of him and told him he was not leaving.
The victim continued toward his truck and Linderman continued to stand in front of him to keep him from leaving. He said he tried to get the keys from the victim and the two fell to the ground, the affidavit states.
Linderman said he saw the victim’s face hit the asphalt driveway and that he was bleeding. Magner noted that Linderman also had bleeding on his left hand from skinned knuckles and that Linderman said it was from when the two fell.
The victim said he wanted to leave the home and was trying to do so when Linderman shoved him in the driveway. He said Linderman grabbed him in the front and the two fell, causing him to hurt his right wrist. Magner noted his wrist may have been broken, according to the affidavit.
Linderman was arrested and taken to the Brown County jail.
Man repeatedly punched woman in face, charged
BEAN BLOSSM — A 33-year-old Brown County man has been charged with domestic battery after he reportedly punched a woman repeatedly.
Police responded to a report of a physical domestic disturbance at a camper at the Bill Monroe Music Park and Campground on April 12 just after 10:30 p.m. Brown County Sheriff’s Deputy Josh Stargell was met by the victim, who had an inch-long laceration on her forehead that was bleeding profusely, the probable cause affidavit states. She had blood on her face, arms and hands.
She told the officer that Michael Slater had left on foot. When she had arrived home that night, she said she found Slater “highly intoxicated” for the first time in five to six months. She was on the phone with a friend when Slater started “throwing a fit” asking her for a lighter. She said tossed him one to keep him quiet so she could talk on the phone. Slater then allegedly came into the camper’s bedroom and repeatedly punched her in the face, according to the affidavit.
The victim said her friend was on the phone during the entire altercation. Slater then grabbed his coat and left the camper.
EMS placed bandages on the victim’s forehead. She refused transport to the hospital. EMS advised that she needed stitches.
Police were unable to find Slater in the area. After midnight, he called 911 and said he was at the entrance to the campground, wanting to talk to an officer, the affidavit states.
Slater told police he had been drinking and when the victim arrived home, they began fighting about money. He said the victim hit him with a lighter and then hit him with an ashtray in the mouth. He said the ashtray chipped his tooth, but Stargell was not able to see any evidence that he had been injured.
Slater said he hit the victim and pushed her onto a bed to get her off him, the affidavit states. He said he left to go on a walk when the victim began bleeding and “flipping out.”
Officers noted that the camper had two ashtrays that both still had ashes in them.
Slater was arrested and taken to the Brown County jail. He was charged on April 13 with domestic battery, a Class A misdemeanor.
No license plate light stop results in misdemeanor charges
A 28-year-old Franklin woman faces two misdemeanors for possession of marijuana and paraphernalia after she was stopped for not having a working license plate light in Nashville on March 13.
Nashville Police Patrolman Cody Poynter stopped Jennea Jackson at the intersection of State Road 46 East and Old State Road 46. He reported smelling marijuana while speaking with her, but Jackson denied marijuana being in the vehicle.
Police reported finding a wooden case with marijuana residue and a pipe inside, along with a glass pipe with residue and a glass container that had marijuana, the affidavit states.
Jackson was issued a summons for possession of marijuana and paraphernalia. Charges were filed against her on April 1.
Driver not wearing seat belt had warrant, marijuana
JACKSON TWP. — A Brown County man was arrested on March 13 after he was stopped for not wearing a seat belt and police discovered he had a warrant out of Owen County.
Brown County Sheriff’s Deputy William Pool was sitting at the intersection of State Road 45 and Aqua Isle Road when he reported seeing Billy Harper, 51, of Gatesville Road drive by. Pool stopped him and Harper told the officer he may have a warrant. When Harper reached for information in the glove box, Pool reported seeing a rolled marijuana cigarette in the center console area.
Harper was asked to exit the car while waiting on confirmation for the warrant. As Pool was patting him down for weapons, Harper said there were three rolled marijuana cigarettes in his cigarette pack.
Owen County confirmed the warrant and requested he be brought in. Harper was issued a summons for possession of marijuana and was cited for not wearing a seat belt before being transported to jail. He was charged with a Class B misdemeanor on April 1 for possession.
Stop for false plates results in possession charge
A traffic stop for false plates on Feb. 28 resulted in a 38-year-old Columbus man being charged with a misdemeanor for possession of marijuana.
Nashville Police Patrolman Cody Poynter stopped Brian Findley at the intersection of State Road 46 East and Salt Creek Road. He told the officer he had not been to the Bureau of Motor Vehicles to get plates for his vehicle changed over. Poynter reported smelling marijuana, but Findley denied there being any in the vehicle.
Poynter reported finding a black pouch with two rolled marijuana cigarettes inside. Findley said he did not know the marijuana was in the vehicle. He was issued a summons for possession and given a warning for false plates before being released from the scene.
He was charged with a Class B misdemeanor on March 22.
Overdose call results in paraphernalia charge
A 22-year-old Columbus woman has been charged with possession of paraphernalia after police responded to a report of an overdose and discovered she had a pipe used to smoke methamphetamine, a police report said.
Police were dispatched to an apartment on Locust Lane on Feb. 18 for a report of a woman who had taken several pills, then hung up on dispatch, according to a probable cause affidavit by Nashville Police Patrolman Cody Poynter. When they arrived, Mary Snyder met them at the door scared and upset. She said she taken several sleeping pills and suboxone.
Snyder said she would like EMS assistance. Poynter suggested she put on more clothing before coming outside. She asked that he escort her to her room because she was scared of a man there. When Snyder put on a sweatshirt, Poynter reported seeing a glass pipe fall from it with suspected methamphetamine inside.
An ambulance took Snyder to a hospital for further treatment.
She was charged on March 19 with a Class C misdemeanor for possession of paraphernalia.
Speeding stop results in paraphernalia charge
A stop for speeding on March 9 resulted in a 29-year-old North Vernon man being charged with possession of paraphernalia.
Brown County Sheriff’s Deputy William Pool stopped Gaige Robertson at the Bean Blossom Overlook after he clocked him driving 66 mph in a 55 mph zone, an incident report states.
When asked if Pool could search the vehicle, Robertson consented. Pool reported finding a glass pipe used to smoke marijuana in a glasses case, the report states.
Robertson was charged with a Class C misdemeanor on April 1.
Driving left of center results in misdemeanor charges
A 34-year-old Morgantown man faces multiple misdemeanors for operating a vehicle while intoxicated and possession of marijuana following a traffic stop last December.
Brown County Sheriff’s Deputy Josh Stargell stopped 34-year-old James Gillaspy near the intersection of State Road 135 North and Hurdle Road after seeing him drive left of center two or three times, a probable cause affidavit states. The license plate also did not match the vehicle.
Stargell requested Deputy Austin Schonfeld to the scene to have his K9 do a free air sniff around the vehicle. Gillaspy said nothing illegal was in the vehicle and that he had just bought it from a man in Peoga the day before.
K9 Kronin indicated there were drugs in the vehicle. Schonfeld also reported smelling marijuana on the driver side as he walked around. Schonfeld reported finding a half-burnt marijuana cigarette in a compartment on the dashboard. On the back floorboard, Schonfeld found a camouflaged toiletry bag with the following inside: a scale with marijuana residue on it, two marijuana THC vials, a glass jar with marijuana inside, three packs of rolling papers, a tool used to roll marijuana cigarettes, and a tray with marijuana residue on it, the affidavit states.
Schonfeld noted the bag was found in the same area he reported seeing Gillaspy digging around in as he walked up to the vehicle at the start of the stop.
Gillaspy said the man he bought the car from had left items in there that he needed to get out, the affidavit states. Gillaspy said the marijuana cigarette was his and that he was smoking it when Stargell pulled him over, but he denied owning anything in the bag.
Gillaspy consented to a blood draw and was taken to Columbus Regional Hospital. He was cited then released from the scene and taken back to his home.
He was formally charged on April 1 with operating a vehicle while intoxicated — endangering a person, a Class A misdemeanor; operating a vehicle with a Schedule I or II controlled substance or its metabolite in the blood, a Class C misdemeanor; and possession of marijuana, a Class B misdemeanor.
