COLUMBUS, Ind. — A Bunker Hill man was recently arrested on felony drug charges as a result of an investigation by the Joint Narcotics Enforcement Team in Columbus.
JNET began the investigation into Antoine D. Ford, 35, 3038 W. County Road 850S, Bunker Hill, after identifying him as a suspected retail distributor of illegal narcotics, said Lt. Matt Harris, Columbus Police Department spokesman. Ford has a lengthy violent criminal history and was recently released from
prison in May of 2023.
On July 6, 2023, JNET requested the Columbus Police Department’s Uniform division to conduct a traffic stop on a vehicle that Ford was a passenger in. JNET observed multiple traffic violations committed by the driver of the vehicle before he was stopped by officers on Sawin Drive east of Marr Road, Harris said. A Columbus Police canine later alerted to the odor of narcotics in the vehicle.
During the subsequent probable cause search of the vehicle, officers located several items of illegal narcotic evidence. Suspected methamphetamine, fentanyl, marijuana and drug paraphernalia were located in Ford’s possession. Of particular concern, a baggie containing 11 counterfeit Oxycodone 30MG pills were located that were packaged for sale, Harris said. Additional evidence was obtained by investigators that shows Ford possessed the fake Oxycodone pills with the intent to distribute them, Harris said. Ford was taken into
custody after locating the evidence.
The counterfeit pills were small blue round pills with “M” imprinted on one side and “30” imprinted on the other side. The pills later field tested presumptively positive as fentanyl, Harris said. DEA Laboratory testing revealed six out of 10 fentanyl-laced fake prescription pills contain a potentially fatal dose of fentanyl.
After Ford was taken into custody, he reportedly told officers that he had recently ingested narcotics.
Officers transported Ford to Columbus Regional Hospital for treatment. While enroute to the hospital Ford became unresponsive. Officers administered Narcan to Ford and he awoke a short time later, Harris said.
After receiving medical treatment at the hospital Ford was discharged. He was transported to the Bartholomew County Jail where he was incarcerated on the preliminary charges of dealing in a narcotic drug as a Level 4 felony, possession of a narcotic drug as a Level 6 felony, possession of methamphetamine as a Level 6 felony, possession of marijuana as a Class B misdemeanor and possession of paraphernalia as a Class C misdemeanor.
The Joint Narcotics Enforcement Team, a combined unit of the Bartholomew County Sheriff’s Office, the Columbus Police Department and the Bartholomew County Prosecutor’s Office is proactively targeting the manufacturing and abuse of dangerous drugs in Columbus and Bartholomew County.
For more on this story, see Tuesday’s Republic.
