WARSAW — A Warsaw resident has been arrested on drug charges after allegedly taking his infant child with him to purchase methamphetamine.
Court documents state that on Thursday, April 28, officers with the Warsaw Police Department spoke with an unnamed individual who showed them a ziplock bag containing a white, powdery substance that tested positive for methamphetamine.
The individual met that day with Ryan McLaughlin, 19, 1756 S. CR 400W, Warsaw, in the parking lot of a Warsaw supermarket. McLaughlin’s girlfriend and infant child were also in the vehicle.
They drove to Walmart, where McLaughlin and the individual entered the store before McLaughlin dropped the individual off at Karma. McLaughlin drove off, then returned with the meth, which he sold to the unnamed individual for $40.
McLaughlin’s girlfriend and infant child were in the vehicle during the entire transaction.
Officers arrested McLaughlin on counts of dealing in methamphetamine enhancing circumstances, a level 4 felony, and possession of methamphetamine enhancing circumstances, a level 5 felony.
A week earlier, on Thursday, April 14, officers learned McLaughlin had been blocked while attempting to purchase pseudoephedrine from a local Walgreens. Officers spoke with McLaughlin the next day and he told them he had been manufacturing methamphetamine and that another subject was waiting for him outside in a vehicle.
Officers spoke to the person in the vehicle, identified as Chase Burnau, who provided them with a spoon covered in a white residue and telling them it would test positive for meth.
Using a K-9, officers performed an outer-air search of the vehicle. After the K-9 alerted to the presence of narcotics, officers searched the vehicle and found a pill bottle of zip-top bags, along with a zip-top bag containing a brown, rocklike substance that tested positive for heroin. They also found digital scales and a receipt for drain cleaner.
McLaughlin told officers the heroin belonged to him.
McLaughlin is being held on a bond of $4,500 surety and cash.