Indiana State Police Make Their Biggest Drug Bust in Decades

Indiana State Police said it's their biggest drug bust in decades, and a major player accused in a multi-state heroin trafficking ring is from St. Joseph County.

Investigators told reporters at a news conference Monday the investigation began last summer in Indianapolis when undercover officers bought heroin from two men there. The investigation, they said, led them to the South Bend area.

After an eight-month investigation, officers executed a sting operation April 10 at a Speedway gas station near Brick Road and the St. Joseph Valley Parkway, where they arrested Curtis Lee III, of St. Joseph County, and Johanney Quintana, of Illinois.

"These people are businessmen," said Indiana State police Capt. Tom Ferguson. "And this amount of drugs and the amount of time they've been doing it, this was a business to them."

Investigators alleged that a semi-truck owned by Lee would show up at the gas station and Lee would meet with Quintana in the truck's cab.

But investigators said they surprised Lee and Quintana at the gas station April 10, where they confiscated 10 pounds of heroin with an estimated street value of $400,000.

At the same time, more than 50 police officers from several local agencies served search warrants at five other locations in St. Joseph County - including Lee's home in the 17000 block of Darden Road, his mother and father-in-law's home in the 1900 block of Rockne Drive, the home of Jerome Boyd - an alleged partner of Lee's - in the 3300 block of Woodmont Drive and two storage units.

In those raids, investigators said they found $434,550 in cash, two handguns, several luxury vehicles and a semi-truck. According to police, Lee used his semi and his trucking company - Triple C Logistics - as a front for his drug trafficking business.

In all, police arrested four men in the sting - Lee, Quintana, Boyd and Darnell Beverly. Beverly is accused of selling heroin out of an auto body shop in Indianapolis. The four are facing felony drug charges in Marion County as a result of the investigation.

Investigators said they are still looking for D'lon Edwards, a fifth man they believe to be involved in the drug ring.