HANCOCK COUNTY — What started out as a traffic stop to possibly serve an arrest warrant led to the arrest of another person, a Fortville man who has been charged with dealing methamphetamine.
Brandon N. Parsley, 38, 600 block of North Madison Street, Fortville, was pulled over Saturday, March 6, in Fortville after police ran a check on a license plate of the car he was driving. The officers learned that the owner of the vehicle, a woman, had a warrant out for her arrest, so they pulled the vehicle over.
According to a probable cause affidavit, Parsley was driving the vehicle, and the woman was the passenger.
The trouble began when Parsley falsely identified himself as his younger brother, the affidavit said. The two were separated, and the woman told police drugs were in the car.
The woman had a protective order out against Parsley, the affidavit said. She told officers Parsley threatened to “knock her teeth out” and told her, “Shh, don’t say anything” as he was being pulled over, the affidavit said.
Upon the search of the car, officers found Parsley’s proper identification as well as a quantity of a crystalline substance, pills and a leafy substance believed to be marijuana. The search also turned up drug paraphernalia and a digital scale, the affidavit said.
The crystalline substance, which was determined to be methamphetamine, weighed 16.3 grams, affidavit said.
The woman told police Parsley had been dealing drugs shortly before being pulled over and was on his way to another drug sale when officers stopped him.
Parsley has been charged with a Level 2 felony count of dealing methamphetamine; a Level 6 felony county of operating a vehicle after being a habitual offender; a Level 6 felony count of invasion of privacy; and four misdemeanors.
The most serious charge carries a sentence of up to 30 years in prison.
Parsley made his initial appearance Tuesday, March 9, in Hancock County Superior Court 1, via video. Court Commissioner Cody Coombs set a $6,500 cash bond. Parsley has a pretrial conference scheduled on April 7. He was still listed as an inmate in the county jail as of the Daily Reporter’s deadline Wednesday.
The woman was released by officers and was told to contact the prosecutor’s office to get the warrant in her name taken care of.
