HOPE — A Bartholomew County man that investigators believe has some responsibility for bringing tainted opioids into south-central Indiana nearly died of a heroin overdose himself just hours after his release from jail, police said.
Ryan Scott Redmon, 25, was unresponsive and not breathing when Hope police officers discovered him at 11:22 p.m. Wednesday in the bathroom of an elderly relative’s residence on Main Street, about a block north of the town square, Town Marshal Matt Tallent said.
Once officers moved Redmon to a bed where two doses of the opioid antidote Naloxone were administered, investigators found two used syringes, a spoon with scorch marks on the bottom of it and a lighter — all within close proximity of where Redmon was found in the bathroom, Tallent said.
After Redmon was revived about five minutes later, he was first taken to Columbus Regional Hospital for evaluation before being booked into the Bartholomew County Jail at 3:37 a.m. Thursday.
Redmon was arrested Oct. 26 on a warrant charging him with two counts of dealing in a narcotic drug, one as a Level 4 felony and the other as a Level 5 offense. Court records indicated those drug buys took place in April and July.
Redmon was taken into custody in a high-risk arrest, which involves officers having their guns drawn.
Investigators have reason to believe Redmon is a significant player in the local heroin trade, said Maj. Chris Lane of the Bartholomew County Sheriff’s Department.
When taken into custody, Redmon was carrying more illegal drugs. New charges were immediately filed for possession of methamphetamine as a Level 6 felony, as well as unlawful possession of a syringe.
While bond was initially set at $100,000, it was reduced to $35,000 surety or $3,500 cash during a Monday hearing in Bartholomew Circuit Court. It was posted two days later, according to jail records.
But Redmon had to agree to be placed on home detention, as well as submit to drug testing, before the judge agreed to lower the bond, court records state.
As a result, he is being accused of several probation violations, as well as facing new charges of possession of paraphernalia and possession of an injection device.
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Ryan Scott Redmon is scheduled to appear in court for a change-of-plea hearing 9 a.m. Feb. 20. Bartholomew Circuit Court Judge-elect Kelly Benjamin, who will be sworn in Jan. 1, is expected to preside.
His trial date is tentatively set for 8:30 a.m. March 7.
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