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A Bluffton man was held at the Wells County Jail under $16,500 bond this morning after he was arrested on multiple drug-related charges.
Christopher S. Bushee, 20, of 62 Pine Grove Ct., has been charged with possession of a controlled substance, possession of drug paraphernalia, possession of marijuana and dealing marijuana.
Bushee was arrested by Wells County Deputy Sheriff Carl “Tom” Newnum following a traffic stop Friday afternoon.
He was a passenger in a vehicle headed north on Main St. in the 700 block. Newnum reported he clocked the vehicle driving 47 MPH in a 30 MPH zone and pulled the vehicle over in the parking lot of Body Solutions.
The driver of the car, identified as Benjamin J. Vinson, 25, of 1028 Echo Ln., reportedly told Newnum he did not have a license after Newnum asked for his license and registration. Newnum discovered that Vinson’s license was suspended—and that Vinson had a warrant for his arrest out of Huntington County on a charge of failure to appear in court to answer to a charge forgery and a second warrant out of another county. The report did not advise from which county or what the warrant was for.
Realizing that he had a wanted individual, Newnum requested backup from additional officer. Arriving shortly afterward were Bluffton police officers Sgt. Mike Miller, Det. Kyle Randall and officer Josh Smith.
Newnum reported that while he was speaking with Vinson, he could detect the odor of raw marijuana coming from the vehicle—with the strongest smell coming from Bushee. He asked Bushee to exit the vehicle and place his hands on the vehicle.
When Newnum told Bushee what he smelled, Bushee allegedly replied that he had a bag of marijuana in the right sleeve of his jacket and a scale to weight marijuana in the left sleeve of his jacket.
Newnum also reportedly found a rolled $20 bill with a white substance on it.
Newnum asked what the white powder was on the bill. He reported that Bushee told him, “The white powder is crushed up Vicodin and I snort it up my nose with the bill.”
After further questioning, Bushee also allegedly told Newnum that he had more Vicodin hidden in his right shoe. The officer allegedly discovered 10 pills identified as Hydrocodone, or Vicodin, in Bushee’s shoe.
Officer Thomas then transported Bushee to the Wells County Jail.
Because Vinson was wanted out of Huntington County, Newnum drove him to Markle for a transfer with a Huntington County Sheriff’s Deputy at Crossroads Pantry. Allegedly, during the driver over to Markle, Vinson told Newnum that Bushee was “dealing marijuana and pills because he buys his marijuana from Mr. Bushee.”
Vinson claimed that Bushee always stopped at his Pine Grove apartment before bringing the drugs to Vinson.
Newnum asked for permission from Bushee’s mother to search the apartment. She allegedly granted permission over the telephone from her workplace to search the apartment and signed a consent to search form brought to her by Smith. Newnum conducted the search with Det. Lt. Dian Betz and allegedly uncovered marijuana stems and seeds, several large and small plastic bags containing marijuana residue, a multi-colored glass “bong”—a device used to smoke marijuana, a pipe made out of a tire gauge used to smoke marijuana, a rolled up dollar bill with powdery residue, and other drug related paraphernalia.
Allegedly, in all 34 grams of marijuana was confiscated—enough to raise the charge against Bushee to a Class D felony.
All but the possession of drug paraphernalia charge are Class D felonies. The paraphernalia charge is a Class A misdemeanor.
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