Lack of seatbelt leads to arrest of wanted suspect on drug charges

The Bartholomew County Joint Narcotics Enforcement Team is reporting that a driver who wasn’t using a seatbelt, is now facing drug dealing charges.

Columbus police say that an officer pulled the car over on Middle Road near Rocky Ford Road at about 7:30 p.m. Tuesday night after noticing the lack of a seatbelt. But the officer found that the driver, 39-year-old Jeremy S. Whittington of Columbus, was also wanted on a felony warrant for dealing methamphetamine.

The warrant was part of a JNET drug dealing investigation that started in Seymour last year according to police. He was taken to jail and is being held on a half million dollar bond.

The investigation is ongoing and additional arrests are possible. JNET is a cooperative effort between the Bartholomew County Sheriff’s Department, the Columbus Police and the county prosecutor’s office to stem the sale of illegal drugs in the community.