Man arrested after police find pills, meth, and marijuana in SUV

OOLITIC – An Indianapolis man was arrested on Monday after Oolitic Town Marshal Jame Harrington’s canine partner Deny Joe alerted officers to drugs in a vehicle.

Police arrested 34-year-old Timothy Gerhart on charges of  possession of meth over 10 grams, possession of marijuana, possession of drug paraphernalia, possession of a legend drug, operating a vehicle while his driver’s license was suspended with a prior conviction, and maintaining a common nuisance.

Timothy Gerhart

On Monday, Town Marshal Harrington was parked in the median of State Road 37, north of the Oolitic traffic light when he stopped an SUV traveling north on State Road 37 for having blue headlights, and the license plate was “barely illuminated”.

Inside the vehicle was Gerhart, a female passenger, and a pit bull. 

Gerhart was asked to exit the vehicle and that is when he told the officer he had a handgun at his waist.

Gerhart told the officer he and his wife were en route to Indianapolis from Gatlinburg, TN. He said he had smoked marijuana before leaving Gatlinburg and that he had two new smoking pipes that he purchased in Gatlinburg. He also said the vehicle was uninsured.

The officer took possession of the firearm, a semi-automatic Taurus handgun.

In Gerhart’s pocket, the officer located a small pocket knife.

The female passenger was then asked to exit the vehicle along with the dog. Nothing illegal was found on the female.

Deny Joe alerted officers to possible drugs in the vehicle.

In the SUV, officers located a prescription pill bottle without a label that contained Gabapentin.

Gerhart admitted the pills were his. Officers also found ten glass smoking devices. Two of the glass smoking devices contained a green liquid and a white residue. Gerhart claimed the green liquid was Gatorade and the white residue tested positive for meth. They also found a clear plastic baggy that contained 13.095 grams of crystal meth. In a clear glass jar, officers found 11.710 grams of marijuana. They also found an electric handheld grinder that contained 4.965 grams of marijuana.

Officers also found one empty and one loaded handgun magazines.

The female was released from the scene.