Three local people were arrested Thursday on drug and counterfeiting charges. Indiana State Police (ISP) Spokesman Sgt. Stephen Wheeles says that the arrests came about after the department’s Versailles Criminal Patrol Team served a search warrant at a home in Jennings County.
Wheeles says that the incident began when troopers attempted to serve an arrest warrant for 33-year-old Jeremiah J. Anderson, of North Vernon,
at a home on Country Manor Boulevard in Country Squire Lakes. While at the home, troopers reportedly found Anderson and another man, 33-year-old Vern E. Purtlebaugh, of Columbus, hiding in the home’s crawl space. While still at the house, Wheeles says that troopers learned information that Purtlebaugh and Anderson had allegedly passed counterfeit money to a taxi driver that had given the men a ride just moments before.
Wheeles says that troopers then obtained a search warrant for the home. During a search, troopers allegedly found suspected
methamphetamine, drug paraphernalia, additional counterfeit money, along with printers and copiers used for the production of counterfeit money. Authorities say this led to the arrests of Anderson, Purtlebaugh and 30-year-old Bryttany M. Wooten, of North Vernon.
ISP say that all three suspects were booked in the Jennings County Jail on charges of Counterfeiting, Possession of Methamphetamine, Possession of a Syringe, and Possession of Drug Paraphernalia. Authorities say that Purtlebaugh faces an additional charge of Visiting a Common Nuisance, while Anderson faces an additional charge of
Maintaining a Common Nuisance. Police add that Anderson was also arrested on the original arrest warrant for Residential Entry, while Wooten was also charged with Harboring a Fugitive and Maintaining a Common Nuisance.