Cass/Miami Counties – A four month long narcotics investigation by officers from the CLEAN Team and the Indiana State Police Drug Enforcement Section resulted in the arrests of six people including Shashanna Brent, 38, 11768 South Cass County Road 950 East, Galveston, IN. Brent is believed to have been a significant distributor of heroin that was sold by drug dealers in Miami County. The investigation was dubbed “Operation Smack Down.” Smack is one of the many street names for heroin.
Tuesday morning, officers from the CLEAN Team, the Indiana State Police Drug Enforcement Section, and the Cass County Sheriff’s Department served Brent, at her Galveston home, with multiple Howard County arrest warrants alleging felony charges for conspiracy to commit dealing in a narcotic drug (heroin) and dealing in a narcotic drug (heroin). While taking Brent into custody, officers allegedly observed indicators of drug activity in the home. They applied for and were granted a Cass Superior Court search warrant for the property. During a subsequent search of Brent’s home, officers allegedly located approximately 200 grams of heroin, approximately $87,000 in United States currency, three handguns, ammunition, two digital scales, and clear plastic baggies. Brent’s eight-year-old daughter was also at the home. The girl was released into the care of the Cass County Division of the Indiana Department of Child Services. Brent was incarcerated in the Cass County Jail. In addition to the criminal charges in Howard County, Brent faces added felony charges for dealing in a narcotic drug over 10 grams and possession of over 28 grams of a narcotic drug in Cass County. The heroin has a street value of approximately $200,000.
Yesterday afternoon, Brent’s boyfriend, Shaun Myers, 33, Kokomo, IN, was served a Howard Superior Court I arrest warrant alleging three felony charges for conspiracy to commit dealing in a narcotic drug. Myers was served the warrant at the Pendleton Correctional Facility where he is serving time for possession of a firearm by a serious violent felon. The arrest warrant stemmed from Operation Smack Down prior to Myers going to prison.
On August 27, as part of Operation Smack Down, officers from the CLEAN Team executed a search warrant on a residence and a vehicle located at 290 Sullivan Lane, Peru, IN. Officers allegedly found approximately three and a half grams of heroin, marijuana, syringes, prescription medication, and drug paraphernalia. Geare Booth Jr, 26, Jamie Rogers, 24 and Jimmy Fisher, 30, all from Peru, IN, were incarcerated in the Miami County Jail to face a felony charge for maintaining a common nuisance. Booth also faces criminal charges for possession of heroin with the intent to deal, possession of heroin, possession of a syringe, possession of a controlled substance, and possession of marijuana. Rogers faces additional charges for possession of a narcotic, possession of a controlled substance, and possession of a syringe.
On August 11, officers from the CLEAN Team arrested Jared Hunt, 31, Peru, IN. Hunt was incarcerated in the Miami County Jail to face charges for dealing heroin, possession of heroin, possession of marijuana, and resisting law enforcement.
Hunt was arrested after members of the CLEAN Team allegedly observed him complete an illegal narcotic sale in the Arrow Head Estates in Miami County. When officers attempted to take Hunt into custody, he allegedly fled on foot and discarded narcotics while fleeing. Hunt was quickly captured and officers recovered the discarded narcotics. Hunt allegedly possessed approximately four and a half grams of heroin and a misdemeanor amount of marijuana.
“This operation was a success due to old fashion police work,” stated Lt. Jeremy Kelly, commander of the Indiana State Police Peru Post. “Numerous officers from multiple agencies shared information and used a host of investigative techniques to remove distributors of illegal narcotics from our communities.”
The CLEAN Team and officers from the Indiana State Police Drug Enforcement Section were also assisted with Operation Smack Down by the Miami Prosecutor’s Office and the Howard County Prosecutor’s Office.
The CLEAN Team is a task force of 11 law enforcement entities that have dedicated resources to fight narcotics in Fulton and Miami Counties. CLEAN stands for Combined Law Enforcement Against Narcotics. The main focus of the CLEAN Team is narcotics enforcement with an emphasis on methamphetamine related crimes.
Law enforcement officers encourage anyone with information about the possession, distribution, or manufacturing of narcotics to call their local law enforcement agency or the Indiana State Police Drug Tip Line at 1-800-453-4756. Information can be reported anonymously.
Two photos attached: Items recovered from Brent residence.
All criminal defendants are to be presumed innocent until, and unless proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
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