By SYDNEY KENT
A man from Bluffton received charges of robbery and battery committed with a deadly weapon days after he was arrested for high-level drug charges.
Ollie Puckett, 23, was charged with robbery, a Level 3 felony, possession of a firearm by a violent felon, a Level 4 felony, and battery committed with a deadly weapon, a Level 5 felony.
According to a probable cause affidavit, a detective from the Bluffton Police Department saw a recent Facebook post from Puckett with a picture of red Jordan sneakers. The detective recognized the sneakers from the traffic stop the day prior.
The traffic stop revealed a handgun, a plastic bag of methamphetamine that weighed 18.5 grams, eight bags of various amounts of cocaine totaling 11 grams, a bag of blue pills that later tested positive for fentanyl weighing 1.64 grams, as well as additional paraphernalia and $485 in cash.
In this case, Puckett was charged with dealing methamphetamine and possession of methamphetamine, both Level 2 felonies, dealing a narcotic drug (cocaine), a Level 2 felony, dealing a narcotic drug (fentanyl) and possession of cocaine, both Level 3 felonies, possession of a narcotic drug and possession of a firearm by a serious violent felon, both Level 4 felonies, and possession of paraphernalia, a Class C misdemeanor.
A woman in the car during the traffic stop with Puckett sent police a video of him stealing the sneakers in a video, sent to her the day before the stop. In the approximately three-minute-long recording, Puckett is seen repeatedly beating and kicking a victim — often with a gun in his hand. After several minutes of assaulting the man, Puckett ordered him to stand up, empty his pockets and take off his shoes.
Puckett allegedly told the victim that if continued to speak, he would not be leaving his residence alive. The victim and Puckett reportedly argued over the victim saying that drugs supplied by Puckett were of low quality.
Towards the end of the video, Puckett again told the victim to stand up and began beating him until he appeared to fall to the ground and have a seizure. Puckett ordered the person recording to shut the phone off. Multiple unnamed men were spotted in the video watching the assault.
The victim told police that the video was not a reenactment and that he was actually assaulted. He advised that he is an addict and was attempting to purchase drugs from Puckett when he was ambushed.
Puckett is scheduled for a pretrial conference in the matter at 1 p.m. on June 26 in the Wells Circuit Court.
sydney@news-banner.com
