Testimony Continues In Afandaor Trial

(BEDFORD) – Witness testimony continued today in the trial of 43-year-old Scott Afanador, of Bloomington, in Lawrence County Superior Court I. Afanador is facing charges of dealing meth over 10 grams, possession of meth over 28 grams, and unlawful possession of a syringe.

Judge John Plummer III is presiding over the trial.

Sam Arp. is prosecuting the case for the State. Denise Turner and Public Defender Bruce Andis are representing Afanador.

The trial is scheduled to conclude on Friday and can be viewed at this link.

Scott Afanador

Afanador was arrested in November 2019 along with three other people when a Lawrence County Sheriff’s Department deputy stopped the driver of an SUV on State Road 37 at the Sinclair service station for a traffic violation.

During that search, officers found a crystal substance that tested positive for meth, a hand-rolled marijuana cigarette, 110 grams of meth, syringes, and fentanyl test kits.

Also arrested were 36-year-old Christopher Lynch, of Vincennes; 28-year-old Tiffany Purtlebaugh, of Bloomington; and 40-year-old Timothy Whaley, of Bedford. They are facing the same charges as Afanador.

Afanador says the drugs were not his but someone else’s in the vehicle.

Timothy Whaley

Timothy Whaley, who was in the vehicle at the time of the arrest, testified this morning he was the “middle man” who set up the purchase of the meth.

Whaley said Afanador contacted him on October 28th and again on November 3rd and 4th on Facebook messenger wanting to “score.”

“I am the middle man,” testified Whaley. “I like to get high. It was a cat and mouse game.”

Whaley was staying at a motel and was looking for a ride to Louisville, Kentucky to see his mother.

Afanador arranged to get Whaley a ride. Afanador and Christopher Lynch picked Whaley up at the motel. They then went to a gas station and were stopped by Bloomington Police. Lynch was issued a citation for false or fictitious license plates.

They then went to Arlington Heights Apartments to pick up Tiffany Purtlebaugh. The group then traveled to Kentucky.

On the way, Whaley contacted his cousin to see if they could purchase meth.

Whaley then visited his mother and then went to see his cousin.

Whaley testified that Afanador purchased more than an ounce of meth for roughly $845.

Whaley said his cousin weighed out the drug on scales on the kitchen table and then bagged it as Afanador paid for the meth with a couple $100 bills and “lots of $2 bills.”

Whaley testified he saw Afanador roll up the bag and put it in his hoodie.

The two then left the house.

On the way back to Indiana, Whaley testified he got high on meth he had in his possession and Afanador also got high with the meth he had just purchased. He said Lynch and Purtlebaugh did not take the drug.

Whaley said he gave Afanador a Crown Royal bag and he placed the meth he purchase in it and gave it to Lynch who put it under the dash of the vehicle.

“I make my money from being the middleman,” said Whaley.

He said he was testifying today because “I need to clear my past.”

The defense says Wharley is looking at more than 50 years in prison if he is convicted and they say he made a deal with the prosecution.

Wharley testified he was on probation at the time of this arrest for possession of meth. The prosecution has filed a petition to revoke his probation and if convicted he could face 854 days in jail on just that charge. The defense says if Wharley is convicted on the new charges he could face the rest of his life in prison.

Whaley said he offered to deal with the prosecution, saying he was better out of jail and could set people up. He then added he was never offered a deal in his upcoming court case.

The defense then confirmed with Whaley that he was released from jail on house arrest after speaking with the prosecution.

“You were out on house arrest when you again tested positive for meth and then got out of jail again,” said Defense Attorney Denise Turner.