(Herald-Press) Andrews officers, the Wabash County Drug Task Force, Huntington City Police and the Huntington County Sheriff Department teamed up to take down drug dealer behind a “franchise” operation in Andrews.
Brandon Blaine Evans, 30, of Indianapolis compared himself to “Heisenburg”, a character from the television show “Breaking Bad” who runs a drug dealing operation, according to police reports.Evans is being charged with counts of dealing between 5 and 10 grams of methamphetamine, a Level 2 felony, dealing in a narcotic/heroin between 3 and 7 grams, a Level 4 felony, a habitual offender charge, unlawful possession of a syringe, a Level 6 felony, and driving while suspended.
These charges are only those included in the Huntington County Superior Court cases against Evans, who also faces charges in Hamilton County Superior Court 2 for dealing in more than 10 grams of methamphetamine, a Level 2 felony, and possession of more than 28 grams methamphetamine, a Level 3 felony, according to court records.On May 14, 2019, officers in Andrews were informed of potential drug activity and a possible wanted person. A detective from the Huntington City Police Department contacted an Andrews officer and stated they had received an anonymous tip that Evans had failed to return to a Department of Correction work release program and was staying with Kayla Booth in the town of Andrews, according to a police report.The tip stated that Booth had been arrested for attempting to smuggle drugs into prison and that Evans had a large amount of drugs in the home including heroin and methamphetamine, according to the report.
Andrews officers contacted a detective with the Wabash County Drug Task Force who recognized Evans and stated he had been bringing large amounts of drugs into Wabash County.The Wabash County detective and Andrews police located a tan Chevy Colorado driven by Evans and performed a traffic stop at the dairy store in Andrews.
The Andrews officer conducting the stop gave verbal warnings for Evans to place his hands on the hood of the car as Evans exited his vehicle before he was taken into custody.Evans was arrested on three outstanding warrants and transported to the Huntington County Jail. Officers found $1000 on his person along with a black and silver smart phone.Evans’ vehicle was towed and taken for inventory to the Andrews Police Department according to standard operating procedure where officers found a black digital scale with residue on it and a bag with seven unused hypodermic syringes.At the Huntington County jail, Evans was scheduled to wait for pickup by Hamilton County on two warrants of possession of methamphetamine. Evans was given access to use the jail phone service, which informs the caller that the line is being recorded prior to every call made.
An Andrews officer monitored Evans’ phone conversations over the next week in reference to items made in the vehicle and an ongoing stolen firearms investigation the officer was working. During the phone conversations, the officer learned Evans was directing his girlfriend, Erica J. Wrisk, on how to complete drug transactions on his behalf. Evans and his girlfriend mentioned several times they considered themselves a “team”, according to the officer.In the call to his girlfriend, Evans referred to the syringes as “rigs”, a commonly used term to identify a an injection device for illegal drugs. He stated it was odd that he didn’t have anything on him when he was arrested and proceeded instruct Wrisk to find an eyeglass case he had hidden in a laundry basket in the home that contained something “hidden” inside.On May 29, 2019, officers conducted a search of the home and a white eyeglass case was located which contained a yellow grocery bag with three individually wrapped packages of black tar heroin.In later calls, Evans instructs Wrisk to contact individuals and collect money from them. The two discussed prices for a “G” of product, a common term to represent 1 gram of a product. They also use terminology of “white or clear” and “dark”, which the officer says is likely in reference to heroin which is dark and methamphetamine which is clear or white in color.In a phone conversation with David Odham, Evans lists names of people who owe him money and discussed a stolen gun.
During a call which began with Evans releasing his property to Wrisk who was in the lobby of the Huntington County Jail, Evans instructs her to erase all of his messages from “Jizzie”, Evans’ supplier. He also instructs her to place a lock on the phone.In a phone call on May 20, Wrisk tells Evans she doesn’t want to be the face of the operation, but she is willing to continue holding the money and product. In another call later that night, Evans compares himself to the “Heisenberg” character in the television show “Breaking Bad”. Evans states that when people hear his nickname “Chops” that “everybody wants that shit.” He continues to say that he’s made his name “golden” and calls the operation a “franchise”.
At 10:39 p.m., an Andrews officer was listening to a phone conversation live between Evans and Wrisk and updated Wabash Officers on the information being relayed. Wrisk states she saw an officer and expresses fears that she is being followed by officers. She states she left a bag at home because she didn’t want to have it on her.Evans advises her to stay at his mother’s house and remove the items from both spots. Wrisk states she’s doing this for Evans and not herself and an argument ensues about what should be done with the remaining drugs moments before Wabash officers make entry into the apartment and order everyone on the ground and state a search warrant is being served.On May 20, 2019, a Wabash superior court judge issued a search warrant for the residence. Troy Martin, Erica Wrisk, and Morgan Ritter were inside the residence at the time. Officers preformed a search on Wrisk and found a zip up bag containing $2,393. She also had two cell phones officers recovered on her.Officers recovered six syringes, two metal spoons with residue, a knife with black tar residue, black tar substance wrapped in plastic which tested positive for heroin, folded up paper with a crystal-like substance which tested positive for methamphetamine, and a small bag with unknown orange pills.
Erica Wrisk and Troy Martin were booked at the Wabash County Jail following the search.Officers seized a blue and gray drawstring bag which contained a gallon zip lock bag of 231.5 grams, or 8.16 ounces of methamphetamine, a white sunglasses case with 3.7 grams of black tar heroin, a blue plastic case with four syringes, a blue plastic tool, a metal spoon with residue and a metal smoking device, a small baggie with eight multicolored pills, seven white pills stamped with N357 (Acetaminophen and Hydrocodone Bitartrate), and a Walmart Visa Debit card among other items.Everyone in the apartment was arrested and the night of May 20 the jail phones were turned off for the night. On May 21, Evans was transported to a different county.“It should be noted that I have only listed the main calls involving drug related conversations,” the Andrews officer states in his report. “Almost every call that was made by Brandon Evans involved conversation about drugs, or money received in drug transactions.”The Andrews Police Department was assisted by the Wabash County Drug Task Force, Huntington City Police Department, and the Huntington County Sheriff Department.On Oct. 29, 2019, Evans was transported from Hamilton County Jail for an initial hearing with the Huntington County Superior Court. An omnibus pretrial conference is scheduled for Dec. 17, 2019. Wrisk’s pretrial conference is scheduled for January 6, 2020 in Wabash Circuit Court.