Suspicious behavior led a deputy to stop at a residence in Lyons last week to inquire about a man wanted in two counties.  The man was found hiding in a closet and arrested. So were three other people after evidence of marijuana use in plain view resulted in a search warrant.

Greene County Sheriff’s Deputy Sgt. Bobby Pierce was on patrol through Lyons on Wednesday night, May 8, when he noticed a vehicle back into a driveway on West Mulberry Street. Pierce said this suspicious behavior appeared to be an effort to hide the license plate.

Pierce also knew the residents were related to William Adams and that Adams has been known to frequent and stay at this location. And he knew Adams had warrants out for his arrest in both Greene and Monroe counties. In Greene County, Adams was wanted on two Writs of Attachment and the warrant out of Monroe County was issued in a case involving dealing methamphetamine, a Level 4 felony.

As Sgt. Pierce drove by the house then stopped and got out of his patrol vehicle, a man got out of the suspect vehicle and quickly walked away. Pierce said he then saw someone crouched down and hiding but as he got closer, they took off running toward the back of the house.

Pierce said he heard voices inside the residence and he could smell the odor of marijuana coming from an open window. Additional officers were requested and when Deputies Zachary Goad and Alan Jackson arrived, they secured the area and Jackson said he could also smell the odor of marijuana.

When Sgt. Pierce knocked on the front door, resident Ellen Anderson answered and allegedly said she didn’t know if Adams was there or not and that everyone was in bed. Deputies were given permission to enter and during a safety sweep, deputies saw a container that appeared to contain a controlled substance, a digital scale and a grinder.

They also located Adams inside a hallway closet.

Anderson and her husband, Mark Anderson, were asked if they would consent to a warrantless search of the house but Mark Anderson declined and told Pierce to get a warrant. So he did. Around 2 a.m. on Thursday, May 9, a judge approved a search warrant and it was executed about 20 minutes later.

Pierce reported items of evidence seized during the search included: a prescription pill container containing a plastic bag containing plant material identified as marijuana, a large clear plastic bag containing plant material identified as marijuana, a digital scale, a metal grinder, a clear cellophane wrapper containing marijuana plant seeds, hand rolled cigarettes of green plant material inside two different Pall Mall cigarette packs, a Nutter Butter container with plant material identified as marijuana, multiple burnt hand rolled cigarettes that smelled like burnt marijuana, and at least 10 bongs or glass smoking devices.

Four people were arrested by Sgt. Pierce during the course of this investigation.

William Nathaniel Adams, 28, Terre Haute, was booked into the Greene County Jail first, shortly after 12 a.m. on Wednesday, May 9.

Three residents, all of Lyons, were arrested after the search warrant was executed, and booked into jail between 4:30-6 a.m. on Wednesday, May 9, including:

• Ellen Marie Anderson, 51

• Mark Allen Anderson, 54

• Austin Wade Hudson, 26

Adams was held without bond in the Monroe County case but for the two Writs out of Greene County, bond was set at a total of $1,000 cash only.

Bond was set for both Andersons at $1,000 surety with ten percent cash allowed. They posted $100 cash each and were released later the same day.

Bond was set for Hudson at $500 surety with ten percent cash allowed. He posted $50 cash and was released later the same day.

The Andersons and Hudson were scheduled to appear in court for initial hearings this week but Defense Attorney Joe Lozano was retained and they all waived their initial hearings.

Both Andersons have been charged with possession of marijuana, a Class B misdemeanor, and possession of paraphernalia, a Class C misdemeanor.

Hudson has been charged with possession of paraphernalia, a Class C misdemeanor.