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Last updated on Wednesday, April 23, 2014
(INDIANAPOLIS) - Twelve people face charges in what police are calling one of the biggest synthetic drug manufacturing busts in the country.
Officers served warrants in an investigation that goes back months.
In October, police found pounds and pounds of spice at a home just outside New Palestine in Hancock County. No one was arrested because no one was at home when police arrived.
Monday afternoon, agents from the Indiana State Police pulled up outside a southeast side home. Several agents went inside. It's unclear who they were looking for, but minutes later they came out empty handed.
According to court documents also released Monday, the address is one of several locations where packages from China containing an illegal synthetic substance were delivered.
Those documents also mention two east side businesses on Brookville Road. Both are now closed, but what investigators said went on inside was far from legit.
Documents said some of those charged were working inside Tight 30 Entertainment filling 5,000 to 10,000 individual bags per day. Investigators said each bag contained 2 to 5 grams of Spice. One employee called it "potpourri" and told police he knew people smoked it.
Not far from that shop was the other business involved. On the same visit police said four people were loading a U-Haul truck with boxes and supplies. Police said those boxes contained packets of synthetic drugs in plain view and labels on some of the packets were marked as Pirates Booty 3G.
Twelve people face charges, including a church pastor at the center of the investigation. Police said Robert Jaynes of the Irvington Bible Baptist Church contacted them to talk. According to court documents he was willing to talk if everyone else received immunity. He said he didn't want to see "good people" go to jail. As of Monday night, Jaynes had not been charged.
Police said they expect more arrests. They are still working to find all of those already charged.
To see the probable cause affidavit click here
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