COLUMBUS, Ind.–The Joint Narcotics Enforcement Team (JNET) apprehended two men on drug charges Tuesday night in separate traffic stops in Columbus.
Indiana State Police troopers say they first arrested Jared Elsner, 33, of Seymour, near the intersection of S.R. 46 and Johnson Boulevard. Officers say a search of his vehicle by a police dog alerted to drugs inside, and they allegedly found heroin, a syringe, and drug paraphernalia. The suspect collected possession charges for those three items and was transported to Bartholomew County Jail.
A second arrest was made at the intersection of S.R. 46 and Carr Hill Road. Law enforcement says the driver of that vehicle, Benjamin Beatty, 37, of Columbus, resisted officers and had to be detained while the car was searched. Authorities say they found an ounce of methamphetamine, heroin, and drug paraphernalia. Beatty was taken into custody and escorted to Bartholomew County Jail.
Officers later obtained a search warrant for Beatty’s residence on Lafayette Avenue and for a room at the Motel 6 that had been rented for him. Those searches yielded additional methamphetamine, heroin, marijuana, syringes, drug paraphernalia, and packaging material. Also found was bogus U.S. currency, along with other evidence of possible counterfeiting activity.
JNET identified Beatty as the Varsity and Junior High School Golf Coach at Greenwood Community School Corporation. He was booked for dealing methamphetamine; dealing heroin; possession of methamphetamine, heroin, a syringe, and drug paraphernalia; counterfeiting; and resisting law enforcement.
