MUNCIE, IN — A Muncie man has been accused of participating in local drug trafficking.
Ryan Edward Magendanz, 34, was charged on Wednesday, May 17, with dealing in a narcotic drug, possession of a narcotic drug, identity deception and possession of paraphernalia.
The dealing count, filed in Delaware Circuit Court 2, is a Level 2 felony carrying up to 30 years in prison.
According to court documents, Magendanz on June 9 was a passenger in a Buick Sedan driven by Talisha Renee Smith, a 40-year-old Muncie resident, when it was pulled over for a traffic offense near Centennial and Ault avenues.
Although Smith reported she and Magendanz were returning from a visit to her uncle’s home near Prairie Creek Lake, Muncie police had been told they had been to Trotwood, Ohio, a Dayton suburb that is a frequent destination for those involved in local drug transactions.
A police dog indicated the Buick contained controlled substances, and the vehicle was searched.
Magendanz reportedly told investigators he had hidden the 36.2 grams of heroin recovered from the car and said the drug belonged to him.
However, the Muncie man identified himself with a false name, an affidavit said. Smith maintained she was unaware the heroin was in the vehicle.
Magendanz was being held in the Delaware County Jail under a $55,000 bond. He has received a Nov. 16 trial date.
At the time of his latest arrest, Magendanz already faced eight charges — dealing in meth, domestic battery, possession of cocaine, three counts of possession of meth and two counts of domestic battery — in cases pending in Delaware, Hamilton and Randolph counties.
Smith was charged on Monday, June 15, with three counts stemming from the June 9 traffic stop, dealing in a narcotic drug, possession of a narcotic drug and false informing.
She already faced two counts of dealing in a narcotic drug stemming from a traffic stop in October. Her trial in that Delaware Circuit Court 4 case is set for Sept. 14.
Smith was being held in the jail under a $65,000 bond.
Douglas Walker is a news reporter for The Star Press. Contact him at 765-213-5851 or at dwalker@muncie.gannett.com.
This article originally appeared on Muncie Star Press: Traffic stop leads to heroin dealing charge against Muncie man
Reporting by Douglas Walker, Muncie Star Press / Muncie Star Press
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
By Douglas Walker, Muncie Star Press | USA TODAY Network
