By John Estridge
A husband and wife living in Franklin County were charged with Dealing in Methamphetamine, Possession of Methamphetamine and Maintaining a Common Nuisance following Franklin County Sheriff’s Department deputies serving arrest warrants at their Posey Township house.
While serving the warrant, the deputies did not find the couple, but the deputies found the couple’s back door wide open.
Jeremy R. Wells, 38, and Casey J. Wells, 31, were arrested in late December 2021 with charges filed Friday, Jan. 21, in Franklin Circuit Court.
Jeremy Wells was charged with Dealing in Methamphetamine, as a Level 2 Felony; Possession of Methamphetamine, as a Level 3 Felony; and Maintaining a Common Nuisance, as a Level 6 Felony.
Casey Wells was charged with Possession of Methamphetamine, as a Level 3 Felony.
According to an Affidavit for Probable Cause filed by FCSD Deputy Arin Bowers, he and several other deputies went to the Wells home at 25033 U.S. 52, Laurel at 10:30 p.m., December 23, 2021, to serve arrest warrants on the couple for Failure to Appear on a misdemeanor charge of Compulsory School Attendance.
Bowers said when the deputies knocked on the door to serve the warrants, no one came to the door. However, FCSD Deputy Tyler Ford saw a door at the bottom level of the multi-level residence was wide open. On closer inspection, they found pry marks by the door, showing forcible entry had been made.
At that point, deputies entered the open door for a protective sweep.
Bowers said in the room adjacent to the open door, he found two baggies of a clear crystalline substance, that he recognized as methamphetamine.
Continuing their sweep, the deputies did not find anyone at home, but found the house in disarray. “…with items from various open drawers strewn throughout. Also, we observed multiple firearms and firearm safes scattered among the disarray,” Bowers wrote in the Affidavit.
Leaving some deputies at the scene, Bowers was able to secure a Search Warrant signed by Franklin Circuit Court 2 Judge Clay Kellerman.
This time more deputies took part in the search along with Indiana State Police Troopers.
According to Bowers, in the garage, he found a large, black plastic “pelican” style case containing two digital scales, dozens of plastic baggies of varying sizes, multiple glass smoking devices and two plastic baggies containing a large amount of what Bowers believed to be meth.
Bowers also found a safe beneath a workbench that contained six separate baggies, each containing what Bowers believed to be meth, one plastic baggie containing 12 oval-shaped pills, and two prescription bottles bearing the name “Jeremy Wells.”
In a camouflage backpack, Bowers found one hypodermic needle, three baggies, each containing what Bowers believed to be meth, and an additional prescription bottle without a label containing nine round pills.
Also found in the garage were several firearms including a black and silver Ruger .22 caliber that had been reported stolen from Ripley County.
Bowers said the aggregate amount of the substance believed to be meth found in the garage and residence amounted to about 120 grams or about 4.25 ounces, which is also a little more than a quarter of a pound.
According to Drugtimes.org, an ounce of meth is worth between $1,200-1,700, making four ounces more than $4,800-6,800. Comparatively, according to apmex.com, an ounce of gold was worth a little more than $1,800 on Tuesday, January 25.
On December 28, 2021, Bowers was notified Jeremy and Casey Wells had been arrested on the misdemeanor warrants for Failure to Appear and were being held in the Franklin County Security Center.
Bowers and an Indiana State Police Detective interviewed Jeremy Wells.
According to the Affidavit, Jeremy Wells confessed to having the meth.
“During the course of the interview, Jeremy R. Wells acknowledged the location of the methamphetamine that had been recovered during the execution of the search warrant, and further admitted to using, providing and purchasing differing amounts of methamphetamine from individuals that he refused to identify outright,” Bowers said in the Affidavit.
However, Jeremy Wells said his wife, Casey Wells, was just a user of methamphetamine and “was not involved in purchasing or distribution,” according to the Affidavit.
Jeremy Wells pleaded guilty to Operating a Motor Vehicle after Forfeiture of License for Life in Rush County, and on May 28, 2019, he was sentenced to two years in prison with one year suspended to probation.
A separate charge of Resisting Arrest was dismissed.
If convicted of a Level 2 Felony, Jeremy Wells could receive a sentence of 10-30 years in prison. A Level 3 Felony conviction could result in a sentence of three to 16 years in prison while a Level 6 Felony conviction carries with it a sentence of six months to 2.5 years in prison.
