BEDFORD – On Thursday night, June 8, around 10:30 p.m., Lawrence County Sheriff’s Department Deputy Andrew Tillett was on routine patrol when he observed a Chrysler passenger car parked with no lights on in the parking lot of a closed business in the 100 block of US 50 East.
Officer Tillett and Officer Harrison Fleetwood checked on the business and vehicle. They located a male, later identified as 49-year-old Raymond Walls, of Elwood, inside the vehicle.
The nervous behavior displayed by Walls, along with answers he gave as to why he was at the business, led officers to believe that criminal activity was possibly taking place.
When an officer checked Walls’ name, he discovered Walls was wanted on an active felony warrant in another county. Officers arrested Walls.
Officers also requested canine assistance, so Oolitic Marshal James Harrington and his canine partner Deny Joe responded. Deny Joe gave a positive alert on the vehicle for possible drugs. Officers Tillett and Fleetwood then applied for a search warrant for the car. Judge Robert Cline granted the search warrant, which was then executed on the car.
During the search of the car, officers located approximately 28 grams of methamphetamine packaged in smaller baggies consistent with selling the drug, three grams of fentanyl, 41 grams of marijuana, four hypodermic syringes, and multiple small unused empty plastic baggies consistent with what the meth was packaged in.
Walls is now facing charges of dealing methamphetamine over 28 grams, a Level 2 felony, possession of over 28 grams of meth, a Level 3 felony, dealing marijuana, a Level 5 felony, and possession of the narcotic drug fentanyl, a Level 6 felony. He was incarcerated in the Lawrence County Jail.
Officers Thomas Porter and Clifford Pruett assisted in the arrest.
Anyone with illegal drug activity information is encouraged to contact the Lawrence County Sheriff’s Office at 812-275-3316, the Lawrence County Prosecutor’s tip line at 812-545-4700, send an email to drugactivity@lawrencecounty.in.gov or submit a tip via the Lawrence County Sheriff app. All such calls are confidential.
