A former two-term Crothersville Town Councilman is facing felony drug charges in Clark County.
Ardell O. Mitchell, 61, of the 11000 block of E 600 S, has been charged in Clark Circuit Court 2 with four counts of possession of methamphetamine, four counts of possession of a narcotic drug, possession of marijuana, and possession of drug paraphernalia.
He was arrested around 2 p.m. on Friday, May 9, by Clarksville Police Officer Colton Foreman after Mitchell failed to stop at a stop sign at the intersection of Little League Blvd and Kopp Lane.
After making the traffic stop, Foreman said while talking to Mitchell he could smell the odor of marijuana coming from inside the vehicle. The officer had Mitchell exit the vehicle so he could conduct a search.
According to the probable cause affidavit the police officer located two small baggies with a powdery substance and a cut straw. Mitchell informed the officer that he believed the powdery substance was heroin, according to the court document. “Mitchell also informed me he had marijuana in his vehicle,” Foreman said
The officer handcuffed Mitchell and continued his search locating a black soft fabric case with individual baggies containing a crystal like substance hat field tested positive for methamphetamine. The officer also located several rolled marijuana cigarettes and a glass smoking device containing burnt residue.
The officer also found a Hi-Point Model C semi-automatic handgun in the truck’s console.
Mitchell was incarcerated at Clark County Jail where he was released after posting a $1,000 cash bond on May 30.
An initial pre-trail conference was held July 7 and a Final pre-trail hearing has been set by Judge Bradley Jacobs for Sept. 8. A jury trial has been scheduled for Oct. 21.
Mitchell was a member of the Crothersville town council for eight years through the end of 2015, when he did not seek another term. Most recently he was a member of the Crothersville Redevelopment Commission, until resigning this past May.