Thomas Foster Smith

MENTONE — A Mentone man who suffered a heroin overdose has had charges filed against him after police found items at the residence and in a vehicle.

Thomas Foster Smith, 34, 3403 S. 550W, Mentone, has been preliminarily charged with possession of a narcotic drug and possession of a syringe, both level 6 felonies. He was booked in the Kosciusko County Jail at 3:09 a.m. today, Feb. 29.

Court documents state emergency medical services responded Nov. 3, 2015, to an unresponsive male at Smith’s address. When Kosciusko County Sheriff’s Deputy Neil Likens arrived the EMS was performing CPR and informed him, Smith had overdosed on heroin. While in the room, Likens observed a plastic bag containing a syringe next to where Smith was found.

Smith’s wife stated she found her husband lying face down on the floor, noticed the syringe lying next to him and placed the syringe back in the bag.

One other male and one other female were also at the residence during this time.

Kosciusko Officer Kevin Gelbaugh, also at the scene, heard a noise behind the residence and upon walking behind the residence found a vehicle. Through the vehicle windows he observed a syringe and a plastic bag. Gehlbaugh spoke to the male inside the home, who admitted he had removed the drug items from the residence and placed them in the vehicle, attempting to hide them behind the barn. The male admitted he and Smith had used heroin.

Obtaining a consent to search the vehicle, police found several hypodermic needles; a wooden box containing additional needles, spoons with residue, plastic straws; a leather jacket; and a wallet. The wallet contained cellophane and a folded paper, both containing a brown powdery substance, a bag of spice and plant material.

The powder substance was field tested and tested positive for heroin, weighing less than 1 gram.

Smith is being held in the county jail on $5,000 surety and $250 cash bond.