A driver didn’t use a turn signal in Linton early Saturday and an LPD officer pulled him over. A K9 alerted to the presence of drugs in the vehicle. Two passengers admitted they’d all just smoked meth in a motel room. When officers arrived to execute a search warrant on the motel room, a man was there knocking on the door. Within a few hours, four people were booked into jail including the driver, the two passengers, and the guy knocking on the door.

Eric Bland, 26, Linton, was arrested by Officer Adam King of the Linton Police Department on Saturday, February 27. He was the first to be booked into the Greene County Jail – at 2:34 a.m.

Billy Robert Schubla, 68, Linton, was arrested by LPD Officer Bobby Pierce, also on Saturday, February 27. He was booked in at 5:13 a.m.

Kelsey Renee Chambers, 24, Linton, was arrested by LPD Officer Bobby Pierce, also on Saturday, February 27. She was booked in at 5:49 a.m.

Christina Kaye Kristler, 29, Linton, was arrested by LPD Officer Bobby Pierce, also on Saturday, February 27. She was booked I at 6:14 a.m.

Very early Saturday, a green Chevrolet Cavalier was turning from State Road 54 onto Vincennes Street in Linton. It failed to signal the turn and LPD Officer Bobby Pierce initiated a traffic stop.

Billy Schubla was the driver. Kelsey Chambers and Christina Kristler were passengers.

LPD Officer Joe Riley and his K9 partner Kona, and Officer Nick Yingling all arrived on scene to assist and when K9 Kona was deployed, K9 Kona alerted to the presence of controlled substances on both sides of the vehicle.

Officer Pierce reported that during a search of the vehicle, officers located a digital scale with white crystal residue that field-tested positive as methamphetamine, and a glass smoking device with a white residue that field-tested positive as methamphetamine, both in the center console.

A Ziploc baggie with plant material believed to be marijuana and two smoking devices with burnt residue were located in a purse that belonged to Chambers. She was also found with plant material in a cellophane wrapper on her person as well as two round blue pills identified as alprazolam, a controlled substance.

Chambers allegedly admitted she did not have a prescription for the controlled substance and admitted the items found on her person and in her purse belonged to her. She also admitted that she had smoked “speed” in a room at Allen’s Motel prior to the traffic stop and there might be a pipe still in the room.

Kristler claimed none of the items found in the vehicle belonged to her but she allegedly admitted to using meth in the motel room a day earlier. When asked if her DNA would be found on a smoking device found in the vehicle, she said, “Probably.” She said she’d been staying in the motel room with another woman and she also admitted using the pipe in the motel room to smoke meth with Schubla and Chambers. She said the pipe belonged to Schubla.

Schubla allegedly admitted to owning the digital scale but nothing else. Later he allegedly admitted the smoking device did belong to him. He also admitted to smoking meth in the motel room and confirmed there was a pipe left on the bed in the room.

Officer Pierce decided to ask for a search warrant for the motel room. While he was working on the required paperwork to secure the warrant, LPD Officer Adam King was dispatched to secure the room at Allen’s Motel in Linton.

When Officer King arrived at the room around 1:20 a.m., he saw a man, later identified as Eric Bland, knocking on the door. Bland said he was there to see his girlfriend, but she wasn’t answering the door. He walked away then walked back and asked for a ride to a gas station – it was raining. Officer King told him he would give him a ride as soon as Officer Yingling arrived. He also told him he would need to do a pat-down for weapons before giving the courtesy ride.

At that time, Bland told Officer King that he had drugs in a front jeans pocket and a black pouch was located – it contained a smoking device that field-tested positive for the presence of methamphetamine. The officer also found a Ziploc bag with two pills identified as acetaminophen and hydrocodone bitartrate, a controlled substance, another Ziploc bag with a plant material that field-tested positive as marijuana, another smoking device with residue and a clear baggie that contained a white substance believed to be bath salts.

Bland was taken into custody and instead of getting a ride to a gas station, he was transported to the police department then to jail. Some of the items are being sent to an ISP lab for further analysis – results pending.

Then around 3:43 a.m., the search warrant was granted by Judge Dena Martin. During the execution of the search on the motel room, officers located glass smoking devices with residues, a white crystal substance on a mirror and cut straws with residue. Items were field-tested for presence of meth and other substances.

Shubla, Chambers and Kristler were all transported to jail.

Since their arrests, they have all been held without bond pending court appearances.

Officer Pierce was the lead investigator into charges filed against Schubla, Chambers and Kristler. Officer King was the lead investigator into charges filed against Bland.

Bland is facing preliminary charges of: