A North Vernon man and a Scottsburg woman have been charged in Jackson Circuit Court with dealing methamphetamine following a routine traffic stop by Seymour Police.
Jason Michael Owens, 50, of the 6400 block of Todd Court, in rural North Vernon and Jennifer Reene Wagner, 46, of the 700 block of Lucas Street in Scottsburg were incarcerated in Jackson County Jail around 10 p.m. Tuesday, Dec. 17, after over 22 grams of meth was found in their vehicle and in Wagner.
Seymour Police officer Dakota Burke was patrolling on Kasting Road on the city’s west side when he observed a vehicle drive past as a passenger’s head drop towards the floorboard. Seeing that the vehicle’s license plate was not illuminated. He pulled the vehicle over for the infraction.
The driver of the vehicle, Jason Owens, was found to be driving on a suspended license and had an active court warrant from St. Joseph County. The passenger in the vehicle, Jennifer Wagner was also found to have a suspended license.
With neither occupant having a valid driver’s license, Officer Burke called for a wrecker to tow the vehicle.
During his investigation and vehicle inventory, Burke reported he found a baggy with a tied corner containing a crystal like substance on the vehicle’s passenger floorboard, according to the court probable cause affidavit. Both occupants of the vehicle denied that the baggie was theirs.
Continuing his inventory, Burke found another similar baggie under the passenger seat as well as crystal like substance sprinkled on the passenger side floorboard.
Sgt. Crystal Schapson arrived on the scene and began talking separately with Wagner.
According to the court document, Owens told Burke that when the officer turned his emergency lights on, Wagner began shoving the narcotics in her pants but could not get all of it in. She then shoved some baggies under the seat.
At the rear of Burke’s patrol vehicle, Sgt. Schapson asked Wagner if she had more narcotics hidden and she advised that she had more meth in her vagina. Wagner retrieved the methamphetamine placing it directly into an evidence bag Sgt. Schapson held.
At the Seymour Police station the three baggies of the drug were found to have a total weight of 22.7 grams.
As of the newspaper’s press deadline both Wager and Owens remain in Jackson County Jail awaiting their initial appearance before Circuit Court Judge Richard Poynter.