COLUMBUS, Ind. — Two search warrants issued Monday night resulted in the arrest of six people and the discovery of a methamphetamine lab. The warrants were the result of two separate long-term investigations by the Joint Narcotics Enforcement Team (JNET).
The first warrant was for an RV parked at 608 Jewell St., per the Bartholomew County Sheriff’s Office (BCSO). SWAT members, consisting of Columbus Police Department (CPD) officers and BCSO deputies, executed it. JNET allegedly located suspected meth, marijuana, a semi-automatic handgun, and an active clandestine meth lab.
After the discovery of the lab, JNET requested the Indiana State Police (ISP) Meth Suppression Team, a specialized unit that investigates violations and properly disposes of suspected meth labs.
Four suspects were arrested. Edwin Newland, 44, of Columbus, was charged with dealing in meth, manufacturing meth, possession of meth, and maintaining a common nuisance. Richard Vestal, 41, Michelle Sanford, 32, and Mandy Dowden, 30, all of Columbus, were booked for visiting a common nuisance.
CPD served the second warrant at 2401 Sixth St., where they supposedly found more than 20 grams of suspected meth and more than 20 grams of various opioid drugs and marijuana. Two people were taken into custody. Ricky Walker, 58, of Columbus, was arrested for dealing in meth, possession of meth, dealing in a narcotic drug, possession of a narcotic drug, and maintaining a common nuisance. Amanda Jo Williams, 34, of Columbus, was charged with visiting a common nuisance.
JNET, a combined unit of BCSO, CPD, and the Bartholomew County Prosecutor’s Office, is proactively targeting the manufacturing and abuse of dangerous drugs in Columbus and Bartholomew County.
Courtesy – CPD
Courtesy – CPD
Newland. Courtesy – CPD
Vestal. Courtesy – CPD
Sanford. Courtesy – CPD
Dowden. Courtesy – CPD
Walker. Courtesy – CPD
Williams. Courtesy – CPD
