BEDFORD – A routine traffic stop on State Road 37 ended in felony charges for two individuals Thursday night after a police K-9 alerted officers to the presence of narcotics.
Keona M. Stickney, 30, of Bedford, and Mack E. Morris, 37, of Bloomington, were arrested on January 15, 2026, following a coordinated effort between the Lawrence County Sheriff’s Department, the Bedford Police Department, and the Indiana State Police.
The incident began at approximately 10:12 p.m. when Lawrence County Deputy C. Pruett received an alert from a Flock Safety traffic camera. The system flagged a beige Volvo C70 associated with a suspended driver.
Deputy Pruett located the vehicle traveling southbound on State Road 37 and observed the car fail to stop at a red light at the intersection of State Road 54. According to the probable cause affidavit, Stickney—the driver—claimed her brakes were malfunctioning and she was forced to use her emergency brake to slow down.
During the stop, Deputy Pruett noted that Stickney appeared visibly shaken. The passenger initially identified himself as “James Rahn” and provided a false birth date. However, officers grew suspicious when the passenger’s physical appearance did not match the official BMV records for that name.
When questioned about the presence of illegal substances, Stickney reportedly became evasive. Officer Bell of the Bedford Police Department arrived on the scene with his K-9 partner, who performed a “free air sniff” and alerted officers to the presence of drugs in the vehicle.
A subsequent search of the Volvo uncovered, three hypodermic syringes located behind the driver’s seat, a syringe containing a clear liquid with a yellow tint, and a blue rubber band commonly used for intravenous drug use and vials of sterile water found in Stickney’s pocket.
A field test of the liquid in the syringe returned a positive result for methamphetamine.
Following the discovery, Stickney and Morris allegedly began blaming each other for the contraband. Stickney eventually revealed the passenger’s true identity as Mack Morris and informed deputies that he had an active warrant for his arrest.
Both individuals were transported to the Lawrence County Jail.
Stickney faces preliminary charges of possession of meth and unlawful possession of a syringe. Morris is facing preliminary charges of identity deception, possession of meth, unlawful possession of a syringe and wanted on an outstanding warrant.
The liquid recovered from the scene has been sent to the Indiana State Lab for further testing.
All individuals are presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law. This article is based on the information provided in the probable cause affidavit and does not represent a final determination of guilt or innocence.
