SHELBY COUNTY — A Bartholomew County Joint Narcotics Enforcement Team (JNET) investigation into a suspected Dayton, Ohio, drug dealer recently concluded with two recent arrests in Shelby County.
JNET initiated an investigation into Denzel Parish, 30, from Dayton, Ohio, after
obtaining information that he was reportedly dealing narcotics and traveling from Ohio into the Indiana to deliver controlled substances, said Lt. Matt Harris, Columbus Police Department spokesman. According to investigators, Parish has a criminal history involving firearms, violence, and drugs. JNET launched the investigation into Parish after learning he was reportedly distributing illegal controlled substances to multiple people in Columbus.
JNET developed evidence that corroborated the information gained regarding Parish’s criminal activities. In August, probable cause for Parish’s arrest was established by JNET within the jurisdiction of Shelby County.
On Sept. 8, JNET learned Parish was traveling back to Shelby County to deliver
controlled substances, Harris said. JNET coordinated with the Shelby County Drug Task Force, Shelby County Sheriff’s Department, Shelbyville Police Department, and the Edinburgh Police Department. Parish was located and taken into custody in Shelby County. Additionally, Justice Jordan Dungey, 20, from Dayton, Ohio, was taken into custody for her role in assisting Parish, Harris said.
Shelby County Sheriff’s Department and Shelbyville Police Department officers located multiple baggies of suspected fentanyl, cocaine and Xanax that were packaged for sale following the arrests of Parish and Dungey.
Denzel Parish and Justice Dungey were both remanded at the Shelby County Jail on preliminary charges of dealing in a narcotic drug, as a Level 2 felony and dealing in cocaine, as a Level 3 felony. Parish and Dungey face 10 to 30 years in prison if found guilty of the alleged crimes.
Both suspects were later released after paying a cash bond.
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. All suspects should be considered innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.
