Photo provided Officers arrest eight people in a SWAT operation in the 1900 block of Keller Avenue Monday night.
Eight people were arrested late Monday night for multiple drug related charges in a SWAT operation with police serving a search warrant in the 1900 block of Keller Avenue.
The arrests were a collaborative investigative effort between the Joint Narcotics Enforcement Team (JNET), the Intelligence Led Policing Unit (ILP), and the Columbus Police Department uniform division.
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 in early June, 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 Wilson as a retail distributor of illegal narcotics operating out of the Keller Avenue home. Wilson is identified as 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, 26, of 1704 N. Tibbs Ave., Indianapolis, and Columbus residents David Strakis, 68, of 1915 Keller Ave., Hussein Nkrumah, 55, of 1915 Keller Ave., Ramon Cureton, 52, of 1670 Columbia Drive, Tonika Lipscomb, 35, of 2850 12th St., Tara Campbell, 40, of 3635 Central Ave., Patti Prater, 58, of 1903 Pennsylvania St. and Cindy L. Stevenson, 38, of 1612 Union St.
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.
Wilson was accused of preliminary charges of 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.
Strakis was accused of preliminary charges of 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.
Nkrumah was was accused of preliminary charges of 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.
Cureton was accused of a preliminary charge of maintaining a common nuisance as a Level 6 felony.
Lipscomb was accused of preliminary misdemeanor charges of visiting a common nuisance and possession of paraphernalia.
Campbell, Prater and 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.
