NORTH VERNON — What began as a routine trespassing call at a local retail giant on Saturday, January 17, escalated into a significant criminal investigation involving narcotics and a multi-layered fraud operation.
North Vernon Police Department (NVPD) officers were dispatched to the Walmart at 2410 N. State Road 3 following reports of an individual on the property who had previously been trespassed. Upon arrival, officers identified and arrested Brittany Allison, a resident of Seymour, without incident.
While the initial contact was based on trespassing, NVPD officers quickly developed probable cause to believe more serious criminal activity was occurring. After securing a search warrant for Allison’s vehicle, investigators discovered a quantity of meth, documentation, and items indicating a “complex fraud and theft operation.” According to investigators, the scheme allegedly involved retail fraud and the deceptive return or exchange of merchandise to obtain cash or facilitate further theft. A cellular phone was seized, which police believe contains further information regarding the scope of the operation.
Allison was transported to the Jennings County Jail, where she is being held pending formal review by the Jennings County Prosecutor’s Office. She faces several preliminary charges, including possession of meth, theft, fraud, criminal trespass, and possession of drug paraphernalia.
North Vernon Police Chief Keith Messer praised the responding officers for their thoroughness, noting that their intuition turned a minor call into a major disruption of local crime.
“The officers involved did an outstanding job of taking what initially appeared to be a simple trespassing call and uncovering a much more complex narcotics, theft, and fraud investigation,” Chief Messer said. “Their work not only removed dangerous drugs from our community but also disrupted an operation that could have impacted numerous local businesses and residents.”
Authorities believe the disruption of this “complex operation” will prevent further financial loss to businesses across the region. The investigation remains ongoing as police analyze the seized evidence.
Those arrested are presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.
