Four people have been arrested and a heroin distribution route operating in Jackson and Scott counties has been disrupted, police said.
At 10:30 a.m. Thursday, officers with Seymour Police Department conducted a traffic stop in the parking lot of a restaurant in the 1500 block of East Tipton Street.
Detective Brian Moore said syringes and scales were found in the vehicle and a quarter to half an ounce of heroin was located on one of the passengers, Roger D. Winchester, 52, of New Albany.
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Winchester was arrested and faces two Level 6 felony charges of dealing in a controlled substance, three Class A misdemeanor charges of possession of a controlled substance, one charge of possession of a syringe and one charge of possession of paraphernalia.
Also arrested were Winchester’s son, Mark A. Winchester, 23, of Austin; his girlfriend, Kendra M. Jenkins, 19, of Austin; and their friend, Brandon S. Morgan, 26, of Stinnett, Kentucky.
Moore said he couldn’t recall a bigger heroin bust locally in recent years.
“It took a lot of heroin off the streets and stopped some of the supply that is getting here,” he said.
The arrests are the result of an investigation lasting more than six months, Moore added.
“We had conducted numerous controlled purchases of heroin off of Mark and Kendra and believed they were tied to a bigger source, which turned out to be Roger Winchester,” Moore said. “They were getting between a quarter and half ounce of heroin every three days from Louisville and were bringing it back to Jackson and Scott counties.”
Morgan was driving the vehicle and was charged with possession of a syringe.
Mark Winchester was charged with one count of dealing in a narcotic and three counts of dealing or possession of a lookalike substance.
Jenkins was arrested on one charge of dealing in a synthetic or lookalike substance with a prior conviction and three counts of dealing in paraphernalia.
All four were booked into the Jackson County Jail in Brownstown on Thursday afternoon without bond pending their initial court appearances.
Assisting with the investigation were Detective Crystal Schapson, Officer Bart Bevers and Cpl. Jason Alberring.