COLUMBUS — A routine speeding stop on Interstate 65 led to major felony drug dealing charges after Columbus Police Department officers seized nearly a pound of methamphetamine and a batch of fentanyl late Wednesday evening.
The incident occurred around 8:30 p.m. on October 28, 2026, when a Columbus police officer stopped a black Chevrolet SUV traveling above the posted speed limit near the 64-mile marker of I-65, approximately four miles south of the State Road 46 interchange.
Officers identified the driver as Benjamin Bracewell, 49, and the passenger as Sylvia Flowers, 37. Both suspects are residents of Norman, an unincorporated community in western Jackson County.
During the traffic stop, Columbus Police deployed K-9 Titus to conduct an open-air sniff around the vehicle. After the narcotics detection dog alerted officers to the probable presence of illegal drugs, Bracewell and Flowers were asked to exit the SUV and stand with an officer while police searched the vehicle.
A search of the SUV initially uncovered suspected marijuana. Officers also spotted a round object wrapped in plastic near Flowers’ feet, which investigators believe she attempted to discard as she got out of the vehicle.
Both suspects were taken into custody and initially transported to the Bartholomew County Jail on preliminary charges of misdemeanor marijuana possession. During intake procedures at the jail, correctional officers discovered additional suspected marijuana and concealed methamphetamine hidden inside Flowers’ clothing.
Meanwhile, officers examined the plastic-wrapped package recovered from the scene. Inside, police uncovered two separate bags containing heavy quantities of illicit narcotics:
- Suspected Methamphetamine: One bag held 449 grams (approximately 0.99 pounds) of suspected meth. Police estimated the seized volume represents between 1,800 and 4,500 individual user doses.
- Suspected Fentanyl: A second bag contained nearly 27 grams of suspected fentanyl.
Following the discovery of the high-volume narcotics package, detectives upgraded the allegations against both suspects. Bracewell and Flowers now face preliminary Level 2 felony charges of dealing in methamphetamine and dealing in a narcotic drug, in addition to their initial possession counts.
Both suspects were booked into the Bartholomew County Jail. Formal charges will be determined by the Bartholomew County Prosecutor’s Office. All criminal charges are preliminary accusations, and the defendants are presumed innocent unless proven guilty in a court of law.
