The Warsaw woman arrested Friday on multiple drug and other charges allegedly told law enforcement she sold 1 pound of methamphetamine in a day in Kosciusko County.
Kosciusko County Narcotics Enforcement Team (NET 43), Indiana State Police and Nappanee Police Department officers Erika Jennifer Bruner, 35, of 3965 N. CR 100E, Warsaw, on Friday.
NET 43 received information that Bruner was dealing in methamphetamine in large quantities in Kosciusko County, according to the affidavit of probable cause filed in the Kosciusko Circuit and Superior Courts.
On Jan. 7, NET 43 officers conducted surveillance on Bruner and a NET 43 officer saw Bruner driving a 2019 silver Chevrolet Traverse. The officer saw Bruner disregard the stop sign at CR 850E and CR 350N in Kosciusko County. Before the officer could activate his emergency lights, Bruner turned into a driveway and accelerated through the yard back to CR 850E. The officer activated his emergency lights and siren and Bruner fled and disregarded the stop sign at CR 850E and CR 400N, turning west onto CR 400N. the officer saw Bruner toss a pop bottle out the window.
The Traverse continued to Ind. 13 where Bruner threw a black bag out the window. The vehicle continued disregarding stop signs and more items were thrown out of the vehicle. The Traverse fled to and stopped on Backwater Road.
The officer spoke with Bruner, who said she stopped because she was on the phone with her boyfriend and he told her to stop, the court documents state. She told the officer she knew that when he was behind her, she knew he was a police officer and that is why she fled.
Another NET 43 officer advised Bruner of her Miranda rights and Bruner said that during the pursuit, she threw two black bags out of her vehicle that contained her drugs, court documents state. Bruner advised officers of the location of where she threw the drugs out of her vehicle.
Officers found one black bag at CR 400N and Ind. 13 that contained crystal substance that field tested presumptive positive for methamphetamine and weighed 7.08 grams, plant material identified as marijuana weighing 26 grams, plant material identified as synthetic marijuana and weighing 7.81 grams, white powder substance field tested presumptive positive for fentanyl and weighing 4.16 grams, white powder substance field tested presumptive positive for cocaine and weighing 8.88 grams, seven hits of acid, white rock substance that field tested presumptive positive for crack cocaine and weighing 1.57 grams, blue Xanax bars weighing 5.62 grams, white Xanax bars weighing 9.84 grams, Gabapentin pills weighing 4.96 grams, Bupropion pills weighing 5 grams, Alprazolam pills weighing 3.95 grams and Amphetamine pills weighing 6.76 grams.
Officers located the second bag and it contained an empty Glock handgun magazine and a crystal substance field tested presumptive positive for methamphetamine and weighing 290 grams (10.22 ounces).
The second NET 43 officer spoke with Bruner, court documents state, and Bruner admitted she picks up 1 pound of methamphetamine at a time and sells it in Kosciusko County in one day. The last time she obtained methamphetamine was on Jan. 5 and she sold it to six different people.
An Indiana State Police trooper spoke with Bruner who admitted she sells large quantities of methamphetamine. She said she sells all types of drugs, including methamphetamine, fentanyl, cocaine and marijuana.
According to a previous news release from NET 43, Bruner faces charges in Elkhart County of possession of cocaine 28 grams or more, a level 3 felony; possession of methamphetamine 10 to 28 grams, a level 3 felony; possession of a firearm by a felon, a level 5 felony.
In Kosciusko County, she faces charges of dealing methamphetamine more than 10 grams, a level 2 felony; dealing in cocaine more than 10 grams, a level 2 felony; dealing in a fentanyl containing substance, more than 3 grams and less than 7 grams, a level 3 felony; dealing in a schedule IV-controlled substance of at least 10 grams and less than 28 grams, a level 4 felony; possession of methamphetamine more than 28 grams, a level 3 felony; possession of cocaine of at least 10 grams and less than 28 grams, a level 4 felony; possession of a narcotic drug, a level 6 felony; possession or use of a legend drug, a level 6 felony; resisting law enforcement, level 6 felony; dealing marijuana, class A misdemeanor; possession of marijuana, class B misdemeanor; dealing marijuana with a sentence enhancement, a level 6 felony; and possession of marijuana, a class A misdemeanor.