Madison Township traffic stop leads to drug bust

Earlier this week, a traffic stop by Greenfield police officers led to the discovery of drugs that are now no longer a threat to the community.

The traffic stop came on the night of Oct. 10 after patrolman Jay Beatty received information that Lamont Rickman, who is known to the department, would allegedly be replenishing a supply of cocaine. Based on this information, Beatty went by Rickman’s house and observed him getting into a vehicle. Beatty said he confirmed that Rickman did not have a valid driver’s license.

As Rickman drove away, Beatty followed the vehicle while awaiting for additional officers. Beatty said it was observed that the occupants of the vehicle, which were Rickman and a passenger, were allegedly seen switching seats – from a passenger seat to driver’s seat and vice versa – at least twice as the vehicle was driven, and the vehicle eventually stopping at a gas station on the northeast side of town.

Upon leaving the gas station, Beatty, now joined by other officers, followed the car once it left the gas station and onto state Route 41 north toward Washington C.H. A traffic stop was initiated, with the vehicle driven by Rickman pulling over just past Island Grove Road.

Once the occupants were outside the vehicle, Beatty said Rickman’s alleged behavior led officers to place him in hand restraints and put him in the police cruiser.

It was found that Rickman had allegedly been sitting on a pill bottle, which also had his name on it. Included in the bottle’s contents was a bulk amount of what field-tested positive to be cocaine, Beatty said.

With this stop, as well as information received through investigation and interviews, a search warrant was obtained and executed at Rickman’s residence where more drugs were allegedly recovered, which included miscellaneous pills, Beatty said. Everything has been sent to BCI (Bureau of Criminal Investigation) for analysis and identification.

Lamont Rickman, as of Oct. 13, is shown to be at the county jail and charged with two counts of fourth-degree felony trafficking and a misdemeanor count of driving while under suspension.

Trinity Rickman was at the residence when police performed the search warrant and was allegedly found to be in possession of drugs, Beatty said. She has been charged with fifth-degree felony possession of drugs, and as of Oct. 13, is in the county jail.

Additional charges are pending the investigation.

While the traffic stop happened in Madison Township, it led police into town, with the event resulting in two arrests and a large amount of drugs taken out of the community.

With the six-month contract that began in July between Madison Township and the Greenfield Police Department, the village’s police have jurisdiction throughout Madison Township, and because of this were able to make the traffic stop and subsequent arrest where they did, which also led back into the village with the search warrant on the residence.

According to Greenfield Police Department Chief Jeremiah Oyer, with Greenfield’s police department having jurisdiction over Madison Township, it gives the department the ability to “push the big dealers farther away” from the community. And they are being pushed away, he said. “We have a plan, we have people in position to carry out that plan and will continue to fight the drugs in our community.”

“This is a prime example as to why it’s important that we have the ability to work drugs in Madison Township because not only did this event remove drugs from Madison Township, but also from the Greenfield community,” city manager Todd Wilkin said. “Communities want police departments for personal safety, which also includes deterring crime of any level. When we remove drugs, it’s removing overdoses, it’s removing the amount of theft that occurs. When we remove drugs, it removes that high-level crime where people get hurt.”