COLUMBUS, Ind. — Eight people were arrested late Monday night for multiple drug related charges when a collaborative investigative effort between the Joint Narcotics Enforcement Team (JNET), the Intelligence Led Policing Unit (ILP), and the Columbus Police Department Uniform Division led to a search warrant in the 1900 block of Keller Avenue.
The Columbus Police Department began receiving tips and complaints about the criminal narcotics activities taking place at a home in the 1900 block Keller Avenue early in the month of June 2023, said Lt. Alyson Eichel, Columbus Police Department spokeswoman.
David Strakis, Hussein Nkrumah, and Tykill Wilson were initially identified as individuals involved, Eichel said. More specifically, information received identified Tykill Wilson as a retail distributor of illegal narcotics operating out of the Keller Avenue home. Wilson is a serious violent felon, and has a previous conviction of robbery as a Level 3 felony out of Marion County, Eichel said.
On Monday, JNET obtained a search warrant for the Keller Avenue home to search and seize evidence related to violations of Indiana Controlled Substance
laws. The Columbus Police Department SWAT team, which is made up of Columbus Police Department officers and deputies from the Bartholomew
County Sheriff’s Office, was activated to serve the warrant, and placed eight
individuals under arrest – Tykill Wilson, David Strakis, Hussein Nkrumah, Ramon
Cureton, Tonika Lipscomb, Tara Campbell, Patti Prater, and Cindy Stevenson.
A search of the residence resulted in a large amount of evidence being located.
Approximately 27.69 grams of suspected crack cocaine, approximately 10.42 grams of suspected fentanyl, a small amount of suspected methamphetamine, suspected marijuana, digital scales, packaging material, more than $1,800 in U.S. currency, and multiple cell phones were located during the search, Eichel said.
Tykill Wilson was preliminarily charged with dealing in cocaine as a Level 2
felony, dealing in a narcotic drug as a Level 3 felony, maintaining a common
nuisance as a Level 6 felony, and possession of marijuana.
David Strakis was preliminarily charged with maintaining a common nuisance as a
Level 6 felony, possession of a narcotic drug as a Level 6 felony, and possession of
paraphernalia as a Class C misdemeanor.
Hussein Nkrumah was preliminarily charged with maintaining a common
nuisance as a Level 6 felony, possession of methamphetamine as a Level 6 felony,
and possession of a syringe as a Level 6 felony.
Ramon Cureton was preliminarily charged with maintaining a common nuisance
as a Level 6 felony.
Tonika Lipscomb was preliminarily charged with misdemeanor charges of visiting
a common nuisance and possession of paraphernalia.
Tara Campbell, Patti Prater, and Cindy Stevenson were each charged with
misdemeanor visiting a common nuisance.
All individuals were transported to the Bartholomew County Jail on 48 hour holds pending formal charges. Evidence is still being processed and additional charges are possible, Eichel said.
JNET is a combined unit of the Bartholomew County Sheriff’s Office, the
Columbus Police Department, and the Bartholomew County Prosecutor’s Office
and proactively targets the manufacturing and abuse of dangerous drugs in
Columbus and Bartholomew County.
