Expired plates leads to arrest on drug charges

When a vehicle with expired plates was stopped by a Bloomfield officer early last Thursday, two individuals wound up in jail on drug charges.

Brianna R. Melvin

Daniel Isaiah Miller

Brianna R. Melvin, 21, and Daniel Isaiah Miller, 21, both of Bloomington, were arrested by Lt. Marvin Holt of the Bloomfield Police Department early last Thursday morning, March 5.

They were booked into the Greene County Jail between 5-6 a.m. and both were initially held without bond pending appearances in court.

Around 3 a.m. that morning, Lt. Holt was alerted by Sgt. Brian Pilant of the Jasonville Police Department that a red Ford Fusion with expired plates was eastbound on a highway headed toward Bloomfield. When the vehicle came into town, Lt. Holt was waiting and initiated a traffic stop in the area near the Dairy Queen on West Main Street.

Miller was the driver. There were three other adult passengers in the vehicle plus a one-year-old baby in a car seat in the middle of the back seat. Melvin was one of the passengers.

Lt. Holt reported that when he approached the vehicle, Miller was trying to open a black box and when Lt. Holt asked for a driver’s license, Miller continued to try to get into the box. When he did manage to get the box open and retrieved a license, Lt. Holt reported he saw a rebel flag and plastic baggies and a bag with money in it that was labeled “RE UP” in black marker. When Miller was asked to exit the vehicle, cash fell into the floor. When Lt. Holt asked him if he was dealing, Miller allegedly said yes, a little marijuana.

JPD Sgt. Pilant arrived on the scene to assist, and so did Officer Joe Riley of the Linton Police Department with his K9 Kona. When sniffing around the vehicle, Kona alerted several times.

By the time the stop was over, the vehicle searched and all individuals interviewed, Miller and Melvin were both taken into custody. They both allegedly had methamphetamine and paraphernalia in their possession. The other two adults and the baby were released from the scene.

Both Miller and Melvin are facing preliminary charges of possession of methamphetamine, a Level 6 felony, and possession of paraphernalia, a Class C misdemeanor.