BEDFORD — A Mitchell man identified by law enforcement as a violent felon faces serious drug dealing and weapons charges after a traffic stop on State Road 37 led to the discovery of over 100 grams of methamphetamine and a handgun on Sunday, according to court documents from the Lawrence County Police Department.
Demetrious Coleman, 42, also known by the alias “Rico,” was arrested on August 2, 2026, following a coordinated drug interdiction operation by county authorities.
According to a probable cause affidavit filed by Officer Augustus Hogan, the department received detailed intelligence from a reliable confidential informant earlier that day. The source reported that Coleman would be traveling in a black Chevrolet pickup truck from Orleans, Indiana, to Louisville, Kentucky, to purchase a large quantity of methamphetamine to distribute in Lawrence County.
The informant alerted officers that Coleman was armed with a handgun and that the illicit drugs were stored inside a locked, pink metal box inside the cab of the truck. The source further advised that Coleman was traveling northbound on State Road 37 back toward Lawrence County alongside a male driver and a female passenger.
After receiving corroborating updates from an officer with the Orange County Sheriff’s Office, Officer Hogan spotted the matching 2017 black Chevrolet pickup truck near State Road 37 and Boone Lane. Officer Hogan initiated a traffic stop after clocking the vehicle at 58 mph in a posted 55 mph zone during rainy conditions and observing seatbelt violations among the occupants.
Assisting Officers K. Carter and A. McKinley arrived at the scene. Officer Carter deployed his K-9 partner, Boon, for an open-air sniff around the pickup. The police dog gave a positive alert for the presence of illegal narcotics on the front passenger door.
During a subsequent search of the vehicle, officers located:
- A Smith & Wesson 9mm handgun in the center console (claimed by the male driver).
- A locked pink metal box in an open compartment behind the center console containing a visible clear, crystal-like substance (meth)
- A loaded tan 9mm handgun wedged between the front passenger seat and the center console.
When questioned on scene, all three occupants initially denied ownership of the pink box. Coleman, who is legally prohibited from possessing firearms as a serious violent felon, also denied owning the tan handgun.
However, during interviews at the scene, the female passenger told officers that when emergency lights were activated for the traffic stop, Coleman handed her two bags of methamphetamine and ordered her to hide them on her person. She voluntarily turned the bags over to police.
The male driver admitted to driving Coleman to Louisville and confirmed that the pink box and the tan 9mm handgun belonged to Coleman.
During a search of Coleman, Officer Hogan found multiple empty plastic bags, cash, and two cell phones. Although Coleman claimed the lanyard around his neck only held two keys for a house and car, officers discovered a third, pink key hidden beneath his shirt collar.
Although the key appeared deliberately damaged or tampered with, Officer Carter successfully used the hidden pink key to unlock the pink metal box. Inside, officers found a third bag containing a clear, crystal-like substance – meth.
At the Lawrence County Police Department, field tests confirmed that the substance in all three bags was methamphetamine. The total weight of the seized narcotics was approximately 115 grams.
Due to their cooperation on scene, Spreen and Jones were released without charges at the time. Coleman was transported to the Lawrence County Jail and remanded.
Coleman faces the following preliminary charges in Lawrence County: dealing meth, possession of meth, and unlawful carrying of a handgun by a serious violent felon.
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.
