Justin Gabriel Klinglesmith
MCCORDSVILLE — A driver with a temporary plate who had a warrant for his arrest out of Clark County on a theft charge is now facing serious felony drug crimes in Hancock County.
Justin Gabriel Klinglesmith, 42, Bluffton, was arrested Thursday, Oct. 13 and has been charged with a Level 2 felony count of dealing in a narcotic drug (manufacture, deliver, finance); a Level 5 felony count of possession of cocaine; a Level 5 felony count of possession of meth; a Level 6 felony count of unlawful possession of a syringe as well as two different misdemeanors and one infraction.
The case against Klinglesmith was opened in Hancock County Circuit Court Monday, Oct. 17. That’s where Klinglesmith made an initial appearance via zoom. Judge Scott Sirk set a $50,000 cash bond. Klinglesmith is set for a pre-trial conference in late November.
According to a probable cause affidavit, an officer from the McCordsville Police Department first noticed a vehicle being driven by Klinglesmith had a temporary plate. The officer was parked in his marked patrol vehicle at Stanley at 5697 West Broadway observing traffic on West State Road 67 when he observed the vehicle.
The officer pulled behind a black Yukon, but the Yukon, driven by Klinglesmith, immediately turned into a driveway at 8575 North 500W and came to a stop, the report stated. The officer then pulled into the parking lot of the Guru Granth Sikh Society Temple where he could clearly see the Yukon and ran the plates.
The affidavit states the officer found out the person who owned the car, Klinglesmith had a warrant from another county and also had numerous prior charges for possession of a syringe, resisting law enforcement, auto theft, dealing methamphetamine, possession of methamphetamine, possession of a controlled substance and possession of cocaine.
The officer continued to observe the Yukon and saw Klinglesmith and a woman appear to take groceries into the residence he pulled into, the report stated. The woman, however then walked over to the officer asking him what he wanted. The officer replied “just sitting here,” the affidavit said.
The woman then walked back to the Yukon and left with Klinglesmith. That’s when the officer followed the vehicle and ended up pulling it over for a traffic violation when Klinglesmith failed to signal near the 3200 block of West State Road 67.
Klinglesmith gave the officer a driver’s license for an Erick Kilpatrick, the report stated. The officer however checked the license and the photo did not match the driver. When the officer conducted a search of Klinglesmith he located a syringe which had a red colored liquid inside, the report stated. Klinglesmith eventually admitted who he was and told officers on the scene he didn’t want to go to jail.
Officers, including K-9 partner Mattis conducted a search of the Yukon, the report stated. Officers found a black bag on the driver’s floor containing multiple plastic bags that had a white and brown substances that later field tested positive for heroin and cocaine. Officers also found five syringes and a black smoking pipe, a box of baking soda with a razor blade commonly used to “cut” narcotics and officials also found a white rock like substance on the passenger seat that later field-tested positive for cocaine.
Officers also found six more syringes and a blue cylinder with a rock-like substance that later field-tested positive for methamphetamine as well as 14 more syringes and a digital scale in a backpack sitting in the back passenger seat, the report stated.
Klinglesmith and the woman he was with, Rhonda R. Walden, 41, Indianapolis, were both arrested. Walden was charged with two Level 6 felony possession of cocaine and unlawful possession of a syringe charges. She was given a $1,000 cash bond by Judge Dan Marshall in Hancock County Superior Court 2, Monday, Oct. 17.
