Two North Vernon residents were arrested on drug charges after a Thursday traffic stop. Sgt. Andrew Richmond, spokesman for the North Vernon Police Department, says the incident began when officers responded to a report of a possibly intoxicated driver headed towards North Vernon from the Butlerville area. Richmond says the caller was able to give central dispatch a description of the car, as well as the license plate number. Officer Wes Thayer reported seeing the car speed in a construction zone after turning onto State Road 750 from Highway 50.

Officer Thayer initiated a traffic and suspected the occupants were involved with drug activity. Sgt. Allen Ritchie of the Jennings County Sheriff’s Department respond with his K9, Vampir. The K9 was reportedly alerted to the odor of drugs inside the vehicle. Officers at the scene searched the vehicle and detained the driver, 37-year-old Storme Schachel and the passenger, 42-year-old Richard Simone. Information had been shared that the occupants might be hiding drugs on their persons, so they were both detained and a search warrant was obtained. The search warrant allowed for officer to both strip search and search body cavities. During the service of the warrant at a medical facility, police say that approximately 12 grams of suspected heroin was recovered and seized from Schachel.

Schachel was arrested on preliminary charges of Dealing in a Controlled Substance, Possession of a Controlled Substance and Maintaining a Common Nuisance. Simone is facing preliminary charges of Maintaining a Common Nuisance and Possession of a Controlled Substance.