Michael J. Love, 37, Indianapolis, is facing eight charges in all, including serious felony drug crimes.
HANCOCK COUNTY — An Indianapolis man is facing eight different crimes, including serious felony drug charges after he was pulled over for driving a stolen vehicle.
Michael Jermaine Love, 37, 2000 block of Carnaby Street, has been charged with a Level 3 felony count of possession of methamphetamine, a Level 3 felony count of dealing cocaine, two Level 5 felony charges of possession of meth and cocaine, a Level 6 felony count of auto theft and three other drug-related misdemeanor charges.
Love was arrested May 19 and booked into the Hancock County Jail. He had his initial appearance in Hancock County Circuit Court on Tuesday when Judge Scott Sirk set a $40,000 cash bond. Love is slated to be back in court in mid-July for a pretrial conference.
According to a probable cause affidavit, an official with the Hancock County Sheriff’s Department pulled Love over in the 3600 block of west U.S. 40 last week. The official noticed Love was following him too closely and slowed to the right to let the driver pass, but the driver slowed as well.
The official let the driver continue on and ran the license plate, which revealed the Jeep that Love was driving was stolen.
The deputy turned to followed Love, who at this point had turned into the Wells Nursery on U.S. 40, and watched as Love parked close to a truck, the report stated. The official, who stated in the report he had his lights on, observed Love throw something into the back of the truck where a female was. When Love pulled away, the official got on his public address loud speaker and asked Love to exit the jeep, which he did, the report states.
The jeep was reported stolen earlier in May with Love listed as the suspect, the report stated. A search of the truck where Love was seen tossing items revealed 2.6 grams of a substance that field-tested for cocaine, white rock that field tested for cocaine, 6.3 grams of white crystals that field-tested positive for meth, and two green pills that Love later admitted were ecstasy, the affidavit said.
Officials also found nearly $2,000 cash and a small amount of marijuana on Love. During an interview with officials, Love said he has four kids to take care of and that he was a marijuana dealer because he needed the money, the report stated. He also admitted to being more of a “middleman” for the harder drugs like cocaine and meth, the report stated.
A search of the Jeep also found commercially packaged plant material labeled as Phoenix cannabis weighing a half ounce, a blue Ziploc-style bag containing multiple bags of green plant material between 10 to 20 gm of marijuana; two electronic digital scales with residue, a set of digital scales with white residue and two small plastic round containers containing marijuana concentrates, among other items.
Love was still listed as an inmate in the county jail as of press time.
