Muncie men indicted in Tennessee drug investigation

Douglas Walker, Muncie Star Press
·2 min read

MUNCIE, Ind. — Two Muncie men and a former local resident are among 39 people indicted after a two-year investigation of what the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation called a "violent drug trafficking organization."

The investigation began in March 2020 and focused on drug trafficking in the Knoxville area in eastern Tennessee.

Those indicted included Juan Carlos Brown, 34, of Muncie, who was charged with:

• Conspiracy to possess with intent to sell, deliver or manufacture 300 grams or more of meth.

• Conspiracy to possess with intent to sell, deliver or manufacture 150 grams or more of heroin.

• Conspiracy to possess with intent to sell, deliver or manufacture 150 grams or more of fentanyl.

• Conspiracy to possess with intent to sell, deliver or manufacture 300 grams or more of cocaine.

• Possession of more than 26 grams of meth within 500 feet of a "Drug-Free Zone."

• Possession of a firearm during the commission of a dangerous felony.

• Unlawful possession of a weapon.

Also indicted was Muncie resident Chase Hamilton-Roberts Foster, 39, on charges of conspiracy to possess with intent to sell, deliver or manufacture 300 grams or more of meth and 300 grams or more of cocaine.

Former Muncie resident Rashid Shahid Ross, 41, was indicted on a count of conspiracy to possess with intent to sell, deliver or manufacture 300 grams or more of cocaine.

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Brown and Foster were being held Friday in the Knox County jail in Knoxville — about 350 miles southeast of Muncie — under $250,000 bonds.

Ross, more recently of Indianapolis, was arrested on Jan. 26, and continued to be held Friday in the Delaware County jail.

The Muncie-Delaware County Drug Task Force assisted in the Tennessee investigation and apprehended Foster and Ross. Brown was arrested in Tennessee.

In a Thursday news release, the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation credited the local task force, along with law enforcement agencies in Tennessee and Georgia, for their participation in the probe.

The indictments, by a Knox County grand jury on Dec. 15, as of Wednesday had resulted in 28 arrests.

"This operation is a perfect example of what can be accomplished when agencies work together," David Rausch, TBI director, said in the release.

"These dangerous drugs and the violence fueled by those dealing them is having a devastating impact on Knoxville and other areas in East Tennessee."

Brown's record in Delaware County includes convictions for dealing in a narcotic drug and dealing in a controlled substance.

Foster has also been convicted in Delaware County of dealing in a controlled substance.

Ross' record includes convictions for dealing in heroin and meth, and he faces allegations of probation violations in a local case.

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Douglas Walker is a news reporter at The Star Press. Contact him at 765-213-5851 or at dwalker@muncie.gannett.com.

This article originally appeared on Muncie Star Press: Tennessee drug investigation leads to Muncie men's indictments