Columbus, Ind. – Jury selection commenced this Tuesday in the trial of a Columbus man, Keith Cherry, 36, who faces charges related to drug dealing and maintaining a premises for drug activities in Bartholomew Superior Court 1. Cherry, who has an extensive criminal background, is also charged as a habitual offender.
The charges stem from a police raid last spring that turned up significant quantities of methamphetamine and related paraphernalia at Cherry’s residence; however, he was not present at the time of the raid. Instead, the operation led to the arrest of four other individuals at the scene.
The catalyst for the police intervention was a distress call on May 16 about a drug overdose at 311 Cleveland St., two blocks southwest of Garland Brook Cemetery. Upon their arrival, law enforcement observed a tense scene with a woman, later identified as Jessica Comstock, 34, fleeing the unit. Comstock, reportedly shared a bedroom with Cherry where the narcotics were found.
First responders found 20-year-old Chase Barnhart at the scene, who had regained consciousness after being administrated multiple doses of naloxone. Court documents revealed that a young woman, present to care for Comstock’s child, made the emergency call after witnessing Barnhart lose consciousness.
Further into the investigation, Dustin Harden, another resident, was arrested on site for drug possession and maintaining a nuisance. Harden was found in possession of fentanyl, which he allegedly misrepresented as cocaine to Barnhart, according to the latter’s statement to the police. This eventually provided the necessary justification for a search warrant.
Police searches resulted in the recovery of nearly 58 grams of methamphetamine, estimated to be worth around $1,600, from the bedroom Cherry shared with Comstock. They also found digital scales, plastic baggies commonly used for drug distribution, and other drug paraphernalia.
Despite his absence during the raid, an arrest warrant was swiftly issued for Cherry. He was apprehended two weeks later on May 30, hiding at a residence in the industrial sector near South Pine Street.
Jessica Comstock subsequently faced legal repercussions for violating her probation conditions. In 2019, she was sentenced to nine years for a similar felony drug dealing charge, but was released under a work release program in 2021 after a sentence modification.
After her arrest during this incident, Comstock blamed Cherry for the contraband, claiming that he owned both the illegal substances and the phone she attempted to clear of messages before police could seize it.
This case highlights how drug offenses not only disrupt individual lives but can have broader implications for community safety and public health. The trial of Keith Cherry unfolds as a stark reminder of the challenges law enforcement faces in combating the drug epidemic sweeping across many small American towns.