Ten total charges have been filed against the Leesburg man arrested earlier this week after a drug investigation of several weeks by the Indiana State Police.
He previously was convicted on drug charges in Elkhart and Kosciusko counties.
According to court documents filed Thursday in Kosciusko County Circuit Court, John C. Heeter, 50, of 14 EMS B3B Lane, Leesburg, has been charged with dealing in methamphetamine, a level 2 felony; possession of methamphetamine, level 3 felony; possession of cocaine, level 6 felony; possession of a syringe, level 6 felony; dealing in marijuana in an amount in excess of 30 grams, level 6 felony; maintaining a common nuisance, level 6 felony; possession of a controlled substance, a class A misdemeanor; possession of marijuana, a class B misdemeanor; possession of paraphernalia, a class C misdemeanor; and possession of marijuana with a prior conviction, a class A misdemeanor.
Indiana State Police trooper Nickolos Anderson received information that Heeter was dealing a large amount - mostly ounces of methamphetamine - from his residence on a regular basis, the court documents state. On Aug. 31, Anderson obtained a search warrant for Heeter’s residence.
On Tuesday, Sept. 5, at about 9:08 a.m., Anderson, along with Kosciusko County Sheriff’s Office deputies, Warsaw Police Department officers, ISP and NET 43 entered the property and saw three men on the back porch. Officers placed the subjects in handcuffs and identified them as Heeter, Andrew Lung and Austin Griffin. Officers entered the home and found elderly relatives of Heeter’s inside.
Upon searching the residence, officers took a long list of items as evidence, from a glass container with plant material inside, Heeter’s cell phone, syringes, plant grinders and digital scales to $1,200 in U.S. currency, a Heritage Rough Rider revolver, .22 caliber, and Marlin 12 gauge shotgun.
The court documents state the methamphetamine had a total weight of 123 grams, with the marijuana having a total weight of 75.4.
Heeter’s wife, Linda, arrived to the scene and Anderson advised her of her Miranda rights. She advised Heeter was the only one that had access to the garage, that all the marijuana belonged to him and that he used syringes when he used narcotics.
NET 43 officer RJ Nethaway and KCSO Det. Shane Bucher spoke with Heeter and he admitted there should be close to 3 ounces of methamphetamine and around $1,000 at his residence in the garage, the probable cause affidavit stated. Heeter admitted to dealing 8 ounces of methamphetamine a week and had been doing so for eight months. He said he purchases the methamphetamine for $400 and sells it for $500 an ounce.
According to court documents, “With this information, John C. Heeter would be making a profit of $25,600 in an eight-month period.” Heeter admitted when officers arrived that he and Lung were smoking marijuana on the back porch.
He was booked into the Kosciusko County Jail at 12:58 p.m. Tuesday on a preliminary bond of $25,250.
Heeter previously was convicted of possession of cocaine and operating a motor vehicle while intoxicated with a controlled substance on June 30, 2003, in Kosciusko County. He previously was convicted of possession of cocaine or a narcotic drug and possession of marijuana on Jan. 23, 2002, in Elkhart County.