A joint drug investigation in Bartholomew County has led to the arrest of the Greenwood High School varsity golf coach.
The Indiana State Police say that a police dog smelled narcotics inside a vehicle that was pulled over on State Road 46 at Johnson Boulevard in Columbus on Tuesday. A search revealed heroin, a syringe and other drug paraphernalia, says Sgt. Stephen Wheeles. The driver, 33-year-old Jared K. Elsner was arrested on preliminary possession charges for the items.
A second vehicle was stopped on State Road 46 at Carr Hill Road. Wheeles says that the driver, 37-year-old Benjamin L. Beatty originally resisted arrest and a search of his car allegedly discovered methamphetamine, heroin and drug paraphernalia.
That led police to serve search warrants at Beatty’s home in the 2500 block of Lafayette Ave and at a room Beatty was renting at a motel. Those warrants were served by the state police, the Columbus police and Bartholomew County sheriff’s deputies. Wheeles says police discovered methamphetamine, heroin, marijuana, syringes, drug paraphernalia, packaging materials and counterfeit money.
Troopers discovered during the investigation that Beatty is the Greenwood school’s golf coach. He was arrested on preliminary charges of dealing in heroin and methamphetamine, resisting law enforcement, counterfeiting and possession charges for the drugs and paraphernalia.
