By Liz Shepherd
InkFreeNews

WARSAW — Three people were recently arrested following an undercover drug bust in Warsaw.

Katherine Venckus, 41, 10811 E. 250S, Culver; Melissa Mary Carper, 39, 56644 CR 3, Elkhart; and Daniel Ray Vance, 48, 222 E. Maple St., Bremen, are each charged with dealing methamphetamine, a level 2 felony; and possession of methamphetamine, a level 3 felony.

On June 7, a Winona Lake Police officer with the NET 43 Drug Task Force spoke with an individual who said they could purchase one quarter pound of meth from Carper for $950. The officer provided the informant with cash, and arrangements were made for Carper to deliver the meth at the Warsaw Meijer parking lot.

According to court documents, officers saw the informant enter a vehicle registered to Venckus. The informant then provided officers with 119 grams of meth they received from Carper.

Officers approached the suspect vehicle and arrested all three of its occupants: Carper, Vance, and Venckus. Upon searching Vance’s person, officers found a folded dollar bill which tested positive for meth. Officers also found a bag containing two grams of meth in the vehicle’s backseat.

Carper told officers she gave Vance $100 to drive her to the parking lot to sell meth. She also admitted to giving Vance and Venckus meth, with the three of them using the meth prior to the drug buy.

While being searched at the Kosciusko County Jail, officers found 4.3 grams of meth inside Carper’s bra.

Vance has a prior conviction for marijuana possession and an active criminal warrant for domestic violence in Ohio at the time of this incident.

Venckus has an active criminal case for burglary in Marshall County.

Carper, Venckus, and Vance were all booked in KCJ on June 7.