By GLEN WERLING
A preliminary plea of not guilty has been entered in Wells Superior Court for Ian Sinclair York, 29, Fort Wayne, charged with dealing in marijuana and possession of marijuana, both Level 6 felonies.
Judge Andrew K. Antrim continued York’s bond at $3,000. York sought but was denied pauper status.
York was present in the garage of an Ossian home when emergency personnel arrived on a report of a drug overdose Jan. 27. The alleged overdose victim was an acquaintance of York’s. The victim was taken by Wells County EMS to Parkview Randalia in Fort Wayne after he regained consciousness following emergency medical efforts — including the administration of several doses of the anti-opiate medication Narcan.
The investigating deputy, Detective Quinton Greer of the Wells County Sheriff’s Department, observed that York appeared impaired but denied taking any substances beyond those prescribed to him.
York was reportedly anxious to leave the scene — but not without property he claimed belonged to him. He was informed by Greer that the garage was considered a crime scene and while he — York — could leave, he could not take anything from the crime scene with him, even if it was his property.
Items that York reportedly pointed out as being his property were located on top of a large shoebox. Greer looked inside the shoebox and allegedly discovered a significant amount of marijuana in little glass jars.
York denied owning the shoebox, yet Greer observed in his report that the box also contained an external hard drive for a computer. One of the items that York reportedly told law enforcement at the scene that belonged to him — before the shoe box was opened — was an external hard drive.
Also reportedly inside the box were numerous unopened THC vape cartridges.
York reportedly denied smoking marijuana then admitted to Greer that he had smoked marijuana and methamphetamine a few days earlier.
Resting next to the shoe box reportedly was a bookbag. Detective Jeremy Heckel of the Wells County Sheriff’s Department opened the bag and started removing multiple small jars of marijuana.
Greer asked York if the backpack was his. York denied it was. Greer then asked why his — York’s — car keys were lying next to the backpack. York then allegedly replied, “Yeah. It’s my weed.”
All told there was approximately 1.141 pounds of marijuana, or roughly enough for between 500 and 1,000 hand-rolled marijuana cigarettes. The THC cartridges contained 632 grams of THC wax, or enough for about 189,000 single hits.
The deputy observed that amount was far more than the typical marijuana user would use for his or her own consumption.
York told Greer that he had met the overdose victim in jail and had come over to the house to hang out with the victim. He allegedly admitted to Greer that he brought all of the marijuana with him and had given some marijuana to the overdose victim.
glenw@news-banner.com
