Eight arrested in joint narcotics raid

Eight people were arrested Monday night in Columbus after an investigation into suspected drug activity at a Keller Avenue home.

According to Columbus Police Department, officers received tips and complaints about the home in the 1900 block of Keller Avenue last month. An investigation by the Bartholomew County Joint Narcotics Enforcement Team and the Intelligence Led Policing Unit led authorities to believe that 26-year-old Tykill Wilson of Indianapolis was distributing illegal narcotics in the neighborhood. He has previously been convicted of robbery in Marion County and is considered a serious violent felon.

The county SWAT team served a search warrant Monday and the search revealed almost 28 grams of crack cocaine, about 10 and a half grams of fentanyl, a small amount of methamphetamine, marijuana, digital scales, packaging materials, $1,800 in cash and several cell phones.

Wilson was arrested on preliminary charges of dealing cocaine and narcotics, maintaining a common nuisance and possession of marijuana.

68-year-old David Strakis of Columbus was arrested on charges of maintaining a common nuisance and for possessing a narcotic and drug paraphernalia. 55-year-old Hussein Nkrumah of Columbus is also facing charges of maintaining a common nuisance and for possessing methamphetamine and a syringe. 52-year-old Ramon Cureton of Columbus is also accused of maintaining a common nuisance.

Tonika Lipscomb was preliminarily charged with visiting a common nuisance and possession of paraphernalia.

Tara Campbell, Patti Prater, and Cindy Stevenson were each charged with visiting a common nuisance.

The Joint Narcotics Enforcement Team is  a combined unit of the Bartholomew County Sheriff’s Office, the Columbus Police Department, and the Bartholomew County Prosecutor’s Office that targets the manufacturing and abuse of dangerous drugs in Columbus and Bartholomew County.

Photo courtesy of Columbus Police Department.