BEDFORD — A Bedford man was arrested on multiple felony charges Monday morning after Bedford Police Department officers executing a search warrant at a Windsor Drive residence uncovered methamphetamine, drug paraphernalia, syringes, and several firearms.
According to a probable cause affidavit filed by Officer Michael Bell, 40-year-old Cory Thomas Kern was taken into custody on November 3, 2026, following an initial contact at a home located in the 300 block of Windsor Drive.
At approximately 8:46 a.m., Officer Bell was on patrol in the area when he noticed newly parked vehicles at the residence, recognizing two of them as belonging to Kern, who had an active felony arrest warrant out of Lawrence County.
Officers approached the home and made contact with Kern, who answered the door and was placed into handcuffs. While securing Kern, officers requested consent to search the home to check for another individual wanted on an outstanding Monroe County warrant. A resident at the home granted consent to enter.
While conducting the sweep, officers observed a glass smoking device with burnt residue and a clear plastic bag containing a crystal-like substance in plain view inside Kern’s bedroom. Officers secured the room and applied for a formal search warrant.
Search Warrant Execution Yields Drugs and Firearms
Lawrence County Judge Nikirk approved the search warrant at 10:33 a.m. on November 3, which officers executed minutes later.
A thorough search of Kern’s bedroom revealed:
- Multiple clear plastic bags and containers holding a crystal-like substance that field-tested positive for methamphetamine.
- A digital scale with methamphetamine residue.
- Numerous new and used syringes.
- Paraphernalia, including glass smoking devices and metal caps containing powder and cotton-like materials.
- Several prescription pill bottles containing expired medication and 52 prescription-only Lidocaine patches (with no active prescriptions found for Kern on the INSPECT database).
- Three firearms: an unbranded revolver, a 1919 Carl Gustafs Stads Gevarsfaktori rifle, and an M48 Harrington & Richardson rifle, alongside multiple rounds of ammunition.
Kern was remanded to the custody of the Lawrence County Sheriff’s Department. He faces preliminary charges including possession of meth with a firearm, possession of a legend drug, unlawful possession of a syringe, and possession of drug paraphernalia.
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.
