Men arrested after the wrong cell phone box was taken in for a return

Drugs and paraphernalia confiscated in Jennings County after two men were arrested on methamphetamine charges.

JENNINGS COUNTY — Two North Vernon men were arrested after one of them attempted to return a cell phone to local business but the box contained his drug paraphernalia.

Jennings County Sheriff Deputy Thomas Mellencamp and Reserve Deputy Dylan Smock were sent to a local business at 8:22 p.m. Friday after employees there located a glass smoking device commonly used to smoke methamphetamine, said Chief Deputy Dave Turner.

The pipe was inside of a box for a cell phone that a male subject was attempting to return to the store, Turner said.

Mellencamp made contact with the subject, Marvin Cumberworth, 50, North Vernon, who admitted that he did have methamphetamine on his person, Turner said.

The methamphetamine was located and Cumberworth was arrested and transported to the Jennings County Jail. Upon arrival to the jail, a larger amount of methamphetamine was located on Cumberworth’s person, Turner said.

Further investigation led to Cumberworth’s home in Campbell Township. Deputies located approximately 8 grams of methamphetamine and 180 grams of marijuana in the residence, Turner said.

Deputies also made contact with James Earl, 40, North Vernon, who was also in the residence, and located methamphetamine on his person, Turner said. Earl was also taken into custody.

Cumberworth told deputies that he sold methamphetamine and marijuana to supplement his income, Turner said.

Cumberworth was charged with dealing methamphetamine, possession of marijuana and maintaining a common nuisance. He was being held in the Jenning scounty Jail in lieu of $12,055 bond, jail officials said.

Earl was being held on charges of possession of methamphetamine, possession of paraphernalia and visiting a common nuisance, Turner said. Earl was being held in Lieu of $3,055 bond, jail officials said.

For more on this story, see Tuesday’s Republic.