TIMES UNION REPORTS – A little over two weeks after a Warsaw man was arrested in a Kosciusko County Narcotics Enforcement Team (NET 43) operation, he was booked into the jail again on drug charges.
Austin Lamarr McQuiller, 27, Warsaw, is charged with possession of methamphetamine with enhancing circumstances, a Level 5 felony; neglect of a dependent, a Level 5 felony; maintaining a common nuisance, a Level 6 felony; and possession of paraphernalia, a Class C misdemeanor.
He was booked into the Kosciusko County Jail at 12:14 a.m. Sunday and his bond was set at $10,500. McQuiller previously was booked into KCJ at 4:30 a.m. Oct. 28.
According to the probable cause affidavit, on Oct. 28, during NET 43’s Operation Jack-O-Lantern, an arrest warrant was executed for McQuiller’s arrest. During that arrest, McQuiller was arrested for dealing methamphetamine, a Level 2 felony; dealing methamphetamine with enhancing circumstances, a Level 3 felony; possession of methamphetamine, a Level 4 felony; and possession of methamphetamine with enhancing circumstances, a Level 5 felony, according to a previous news release from Kosciusko County Sheriff’s Office.
According to court documents, multiple police agencies assisted in the execution of the arrest warrant. Due to previous gun and drug complaints from every building on the property, officers split into groups and cleared each building for officer safety.
Sheriff’s deputies assigned to NET 43 saw McQuiller walking away from the driveway and begin to walk inside the two-story garage where he resides. Deputies gave McQuiller verbal commands to stop. McQuiller turned around and began to walk toward officers with his hands raised in the air. McQuiller stated he had a handgun in a holster on his hip. McQuiller was taken into custody without incident.
Officers searched McQuiller and located a loaded syringe in his front right pants pocket, that field tested presumptive positive for methamphetamine, and a loaded Springfield 911 9mm with a round in the chamber on the right hip in a black Velcro holster.
McQuiller was read his Miranda rights and agreed to speak with officers. McQuiller said he has been trying to quit methamphetamine and hasn’t sold any in about a month. He admitted to numerous stolen items on the property. With the information of the stolen property and amount of drug paraphernalia, officers applied for a search warrant.
Officers obtained the search warrant and served it McQuiller.
Officers found items in the garage where McQuiller was living, which were 0.23 grams of white powder that tested presumptive positive for methamphetamine, pink cut straw with white powder that tested presumptive positive for methamphetamine, six glass methamphetamine smoking pipes, smoking device made from a pill canister, glass bubbler, gray coin purse with small clear baggies, numerous clear baggies of different sizes, two digital scales with residue, metal tin with empty plastic bags with residue, 14 syringes, brown hollow Bible with plant-like material, glass smoking device, digital scale, five marijuana roaches and a Winchester model 77 .22 caliber long rifle, according to court documents.
All items located in the garage were accessible and in the reach of a minor.
In August, Net 43 officers purchased methamphetamine from McQuiller on two separate occasions at his residence. On one of the purchases, officers could hear a child on the video/audio equipment as the purchase happened, according to court documents.
