Columbus man sentenced in jail drug trafficking case

A Columbus man with a long criminal history is heading to prison for 26 years after he plead guilty to drug dealing charges.

According to the Bartholomew County Prosecutor’s Office, Justin Bowles was sentenced Tuesday by Bartholomew Circuit Court Judge Kelly Benjamin after he pled guilty to Dealing in Methamphetamine, Conspiracy to Commit Dealing in a Schedule III Controlled Substance and Conspiracy to Commit Trafficking with an Inmate

In June of 2023, Bowles was arrested by Bartholomew County deputies after a traffic violation led to a chase that ended with him crashing into a field near the Columbus Municipal Airport. Bowles then hid from authorities until he was located by a police dog. Police said that he appeared to be under the influence and a search recovered fentanyl, pills and methamphetamine.

In August of that year, Bowles was involved in a case where drugs were found to be smuggled into the Bartholomew County Jail. A woman reportedly placed suboxone on the grounds of the courthouse, which was then retrieved by Bowles and smuggled into the jail. In March of this year, Bowles was again found to be attempting to smuggle suboxone into the jail.