Getting drug dealers and addicts off the streets is a tireless, endless job.
For every person who ends up behind bars, another pops up to take that person’s place by selling, dealing, or using drugs. It’s a never-ending cycle, according to the Drug Task Force.
And with every helpful tip the community provides, new investigations that lead to arrests are possible, said Cass County Sheriff Ed Schroder. But the planning must be done in a proper method, and investigations must adhere to the legal system.
That’s why Logansport Police Chief Travis Yike appreciates the Cass County Prosecutor’s Office. “We couldn’t do any of this without them.”
Since 2018, more than 570 possessions of methamphetamine cases have been filed by the prosecutor. Of that figure, 196 have been filed in 2020 alone. According to Prosecutor Noah Schafer, that number would be much higher if COVID had not hit.
, he said, explaining that when the governor ordered residents to stay home, with only essential workers to remain on their jobs, officers – even though deemed essential workers – had to change their standard operating procedures.
After all, Yike said, he needed to protect his officers’ health while still keeping the community safe.
But even with law enforcement making traffic stops, pursuing various leads, and conducting investigations, the sheer number of drug cases proves that Logansport and Cass County continues to suffer through a drug problem.
According to the Prosecutor’s Office, there were 20 possessions of narcotic cases filed in 2018. That number bumped up to 32 in 2019 and stands at 31 so far for 2020. Possession of cocaine cases totaled 12 in 2018, 14 last year, and nine this year. Filed marijuana cases were at 303 in 2018, 234 in 2019, and 277 for 2020.
With this year not over yet, it’s unfortunate, but likely, that these numbers will go up.
“Our numbers are higher than they’ve been in years,” said Charles Porucznik, executive director of the Indiana High Intensity Drug Trafficking Areas (HIDTA) program, which was created by Congress with the Anti-Drug Abuse Act of 1988. The group provides assistance to federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies that operate in areas determined to be critical drug-trafficking regions of the United States. So far, the group has dismantled or disrupted 29 drug trafficking organizations within Indiana during 2020, he said.
In the Hoosier State, HIDTA serves Allen, Lake, La Porte, Porter, Marion, and Vanderburgh counties. But the agency follows drug trafficking paths, which is why they know the Greater Chicago area is a big supplier of heroin, cocaine, and marijuana to Cass County. Likewise, said Bob Glynn, drug intelligence officer with HIDTA, the South Bend area is one of Cass County’s biggest suppliers of meth.
The trafficking to the Logansport community has been steady over the years, said Glynn, adding that COVID caused many drug dealers to bump up their prices. With Illinois and Michigan closing borders with Indiana, many drug traffickers opted to increase the costs and stockpile their stash.
“We still see drug trafficking as steady or rising,” said Porucznik, “which is why it’s a challenge for us. And with people wanting to defund the police,” it makes a difficult situation worse. HIDTA depends on partnerships with state and local police.
Information gathering and sharing are what help bring down these organizations, according to Porucznik.
Schafer said it is the trust between law enforcement officers and the prosecutors that helps propel cases forward. “This community is really good about having a strong working relationship with law enforcement. There’s no blaming the police or the system. In Cass County, people still respect law enforcement officers.”
And that’s why his office has had the ability to put high-profile drug dealers behind bars.
Filed in June of 2019, and after more than a year of additional investigation and legal work, a Cass Circuit Court jury found Terrence Trabain Miller guilty of dealing in methamphetamine with an amount of 10 or more grams, a Level 2 felony. Sentenced by Judge Stephen Kitts on Oct. 30, 2020, he will serve 29 years in the Indiana Department of Correction.
The jury also found him guilty of dealing in a narcotic drug with at least one gram, but less than five grams. This Level 3 felony carries a DOC sentence of 15 years.
Schafer described Miller as a meth dealer who was armed and dangerous. “He fought police and had significant histories” with drug-related crimes.
The same is true of two other high-level drug dealers who were found guilty by juries in 2019. From Chicago, Darrell Cortez Williams Wright and Curtis Jarvis Carter had led officers on a high-speed chase before they were taken into custody.
In May, 2019, Wright was found guilty on all six counts: dealing in a narcotic drug of 10 or more grams, a Level 2 felony; possession of a narcotic drug, a Level 3 felony; dealing in cocaine, between 5 and 10 grams, a Level 3 felony; possession of cocaine between 5 and 10 grams, a Level 5 felony; resisting law enforcement where the defendant draws or uses a deadly weapon, a Level 6 felony; and, obstruction of justice, a Level 6 felony.
His partner-in-crime, Carter, also was found guilty of high-level felonies for dealing in a narcotic drug of 10 or more grams and dealing in cocaine of 5 to 10 grams. He’s serving a 30-year sentence in the DOC.
Both Wright and Carter have filed appeals, which are under review.
Working to keep drug dealers off the streets is a priority for Schafer. “One of my goals is to continue to defend the criminal justice system. It has served our country well for 250 years …”
And he believes it will continue to do so.
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