Chesterton resident arrested on multiple drug charges linked to local bars
The Chesterton Police Department is announcing the arrest of a Chesterton resident on multiple drug charges.
According to the CPD, on Tuesday, April 30, Miguel Luna, 41, was taken into custody following the execution of a search warrant at a residence in the 300 block of South 18th Street.
Luna was charged with the following:
*Two counts of dealing in cocaine in an amount of 10 or more grams, a Level 2 felony punishable by a term of 10 to 30 years.
*One count of dealing in cocaine in an amount of 5 or more grams, a Level 3 felony punishable by a term of three to 16 years.
*Two counts of maintaining a common nuisance, a Level 6 felony punishable by a term of six to 30 months.
*One count of possession of marijuana, a Class B misdemeanor.
*One count of possession of paraphernalia, a Class C misdemeanor.
The arrest followed an “intensive investigation conducted by the Porter County Multi Enforcement Group (PC-MEG) into allegations of narcotics trafficking in local bars in Chesterton,” launched “as a result of numerous complaints from the public about Luna’s operations,” the CPD said.
“I want to express my deep gratitude to the Porter County Multi Agency Group,” Police Chief Tim Richardson said. “Many times in the dark of night these men and women are working to keep this poison off our streets. This was a complex investigation, as detectives gathered information indicating that Luna was partly conducting his operations under the guise of a patron at many regional bars. My office in particular received complaints from the public that Luna is alleged to have told certain persons in the community that he was ‘protected from arrest’ in Chesterton. He most assuredly was not.”
“I also want to thank the Indiana High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area (HIDTA) program for its invaluable assistance,” Richardson noted. “HIDTA and the federal government contribute to PC-MEG’s funding, which increases by orders of magnitude its reach and efficiency.”
Richardson added that PC-MEG is only one of the fruits of the ongoing close partnership among Porter County’s law enforcement agencies, the larger of which assign one or more officers to PC-MEG. “Under the leadership of Sheriff Jeff Balon and area police chiefs, PC-MEG is given the necessary tools and equipment to operate aggressively,” he said. “Whether it’s Crime Scene Investigation or the Special Weapons and Tactics Team (SWAT) or interstate drug interdiction, our law enforcement partnerships continue to flourish both locally and regionally.”
“On being appointed Police Chief in August 2022, I promised the Town Council that I would specifically target any form of drug trafficking in this community,” Richardson said. “This latest arrest is one more instance of the CPD’s excellent work product. Our patrol officers, our interdiction team, and our K-9 unit are absolutely committed to throttling the drug trade in Chesterton, and the department as a whole is committed to information sharing among our partners. Which is why the CPD has made a number of high-profile drug arrests this year and last. I expect further significant news in the coming months and promise that the investigation of narcotics trafficking in our local bars and taverns will continue.”
