Police have arrested two individuals, including the Greenwood Community High School head varsity golf coach, after a multi-agency drug investigation in Columbus.
Arrested were Benjamin L. Beatty, 37, of 2559 Lafayette Ave., Columbus, who coaches varsity and junior high golf at Greenwood schools, and Jared Elsner, 33, Seymour, in two separate traffic stops on Tuesday, said Sgt. Stephen Wheeles, Indiana State Police spokesman.
The investigation began when state police troopers stopped a vehicle on State Road 46 at Johnson Boulevard in Columbus on Tuesday, Wheeles said. An Indiana State Police K-9 alerted police 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. Elsner, the driver of the vehicle, was arrested and transported to the Bartholomew County Jail on preliminary charges of felony possession of heroin, felony possession of a syringe and misdemeanor possession of paraphernalia, Wheeles said.
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Elsner has been released from the Bartholomew County Jail after a 48-hour hold, jail officials said.
After Elsner’s arrest, state police then conducted a traffic stop on a second vehicle on State Road 46 at Carr Hill Road in Columbus. Beatty, who was driving the vehicle, resisted the trooper and was detained at the scene, Wheeles said.
During a search of Beatty’s vehicle, troopers found about one ounce of suspected methamphetamine, heroin and drug paraphernalia. Beatty was arrested and transported to the Bartholomew County Jail, Wheeles said.
Troopers then applied for and received search warrants for Beatty’s Lafayette Avenue residence, and also for a room at the Motel 6 in Columbus that had been rented by Beatty, Wheeles said.
The search warrants that were served by state police, Columbus police officers, and Bartholomew County Sheriff’s Department deputies resulted in the discovery of additional methamphetamine, heroin, marijuana, syringes, drug paraphernalia and packaging material, Wheeles said. Officers also located counterfeit U.S. currency and other evidence of counterfeiting when serving the search warrants, Wheeles said.
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.
He was being held in lieu of $630,000 bond in the Bartholomew County Jail, jail officials said.
Beatty has been the varsity golf coach at Greenwood High School, but the school district has started the process to fire him, the school district said in a written statement on Thursday.
Beatty is a middle school and high school boys golf coach only and has no other jobs at the school district. He has had no contact with students since superintendent Kent DeKoninck learned of the arrest, the school said.
“Based upon information received to this point, all conduct by Mr. Beatty leading to the charges are not connected with any Greenwood Community Schools students,” the statement said.
Parents of students in the Greenwood school district were notified about the situation via email on Thursday morning. High school athletic director Rob Irwin said that current girls golf coach Brittany Runge will finish coaching the boys through the spring season.
The Indiana State Police Versailles All Crimes Policing Team worked with the Bartholomew County Joint Narcotics Enforcement team on the investigation. The local narcotics enforcement team is made up of the Columbus Police Department, the sheriff’s department and the Bartholomew County Prosecutor’s office.
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The following statement was released by Greenwood Community School Corp. Thursday morning:
On May 2, 2018, Greenwood Community Schools Superintendent Dr. Kent DeKoninck was notified by both the Greenwood Police Department and the Indiana State Police of pending criminal charges being filed against an employee.
Benjamin Beatty, high school and middle school boys’ golf coach, was arrested in Columbus, Indiana and has been charged with multiple drug-related offenses. Mr. Beatty does not serve in any other capacity int he school district. Procedures have started to terminate his employment. He has had no contact with students since Dr. DeKoninck received notification of the charges being filed.
Based upon information received to this point, all conduct by Mr. Beatty leading to the charges are not connected with any Greenwood Community Schools students. Since this is a police matter, the school district will have no further comment at this time.
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