Fake prescription pills found during drug-dealing investigation

Bartholomew County authorities have arrested an Indiana man on a drug-related charges including the sale of counterfeit prescription pills containing fentanyl.

According to Columbus Police, the Joint Narcotics Enforcement Team began investigating 35-year-old Antoine D. Ford of Bunker Hill after suspecting that he was dealing drugs in the community. Ford has a lengthy and violent criminal history and was released from prison in May, police say

Columbus police noticed a vehicle that Ford was riding in commit several traffic violations and stopped the vehicle on Thursday on Sawin Drive east of Marr Road. A police dog alerted to the smell of drugs in the vehicle and Ford was found to be carrying methamphetamine, fentanyl, marijuana and drug paraphernalia. He also had a baggie containing 11 counterfeit Oxycodone pills packaged as if for sale.

The fake pills were small blue and round with “M” printed on one side and “30” on the other side.

Ford told police that he had recently taken narcotics and while he was being taken to the hospital, he passed out and had to be revived with Narcan. After being checked out at Columbus Regional Hospital he was arrested on preliminary charges of dealing in a narcotic drug as well as for possessing a narcotic drug, methamphetamine, marijuana and drug paraphernalia.

The Joint Narcotics Enforcement Team is a combined unit of the Bartholomew County Sheriff’s Office, the Columbus Police Department and the Bartholomew County Prosecutor’s Office. It targets the manufacturing and abuse of dangerous drugs in Columbus and Bartholomew County.