Police have arrested two individuals on numerous drug-related charges, including the Greenwood High School head varsity golf coach, as a result of an investigation in Columbus.
Indiana State Police stopped a vehicle on State Road 46 at Johnson Boulevard in Columbus on Tuesday. An Indiana State Police K-9 alerted to the odor of illegal drugs coming from the vehicle, troopers said.
During a search of the vehicle, troopers located suspected heroin, a syringe, and drug paraphernalia. The driver of the vehicle, Jared K. Elsner, age 33, Seymour, was arrested and transported to the Bartholomew County Jail where he was arrested on charges of felony possession of heroin, felony possession of syringe and misdemeanor possession of paraphernalia.
Troopers then conducted a traffic stop on a second vehicle on State Road 46 at Carr Hill Road in Columbus. The driver of the vehicle, Benjamin L. Beatty, 37, Columbus, resisted the trooper and was detained at the scene, state police said.
During a search of Beatty’s vehicle, troopers located approximately one ounce of suspected methamphetamine, heroin, and drug paraphernalia. Beatty was arrested and transported to the Bartholomew County Jail.
Troopers then applied for and received search warrants for Beatty’s residence located at 2559 Lafayette Ave., and also for a room at the Motel 6 in Columbus that had been rented by Beatty.
The search warrants that were served by the Indiana State Police, Columbus Police Department, and Bartholomew County Sheriff’s Department resulted in the discovery of additional methamphetamine, heroin, marijuana, syringes, drug paraphernalia, and packaging material. Officers also located counterfeit U.S. currency and other evidence of counterfeiting during the execution of the search warrants.
During the course of the investigation, troopers learned that Beatty was the current varsity and junior high golf coach at Greenwood schools.
Beatty was arrested on felony charges of dealing methamphetamine, dealing heroin, possession of methamphetamine, possession of heroin, possession of a syringe, counterfeiting, and misdemeanor charges of resisting law enforcement, and possession of drug paraphernalia.
Both suspects were being held in the Bartholomew County Jail pending their initial appearances in court.
In a statement released by Greenwood schools this morning, Superintendent Kent DeKoninck said Beatty does not serve the school corporation in any other capacity than golf coach. Procedures have started to terminate his employment, according to the statement. There has been no contact with students since the school corporation received notification of the charges being filed, the superintendent said.
For more on this story, see Friday’s Republic.
