02-20-2007BLOOMINGTON –ÊTwo Kosciusko County residents are facing felony drug charges in Monroe County after their alleged involvement with cocaine and marijuana.
Robert C. McKibben II, 19, and Clinton A. Custer, 22, both students at Indiana University in Bloomington, were arrested Feb. 13 on drug-related charges.
McKibben, of Syracuse, faces two counts of dealing cocaine, both Class B felonies, after he reportedly sold cocaine to undercover Indiana University Police officers.
McKibben was arrested and booked into the Monroe County Jail Feb. 13. He posted bond and was released from the jail Feb. 15.
According to the Monroe County Clerk’s Office, a bail reduction hearing was held today at 9 a.m. in McKibben’s case. His original bond of $25,000 was reduced to $15,000. Jail officials said since McKibben already was released from jail, he would be notified of the bond reduction.
McKibben is scheduled to appear in Monroe County Circuit Court II March 22 at 2:30 p.m. for a pre-trial hearing.
McKibben allegedly sold cocaine to undercover Indiana Police Department officers on three occasions since October, with the third coming last week.
Last week, after the third purchase, police executed a search warrant on McKibben’s dorm room in McNutt Hall, but found only marijuana there. No cocaine or marked money from undercover purchases was in the room at the time of the search.
“During the course of the investigation,” said IUPD Detective David Hannum, “we found out Mr. McKibben was getting the cocaine from another source.”
After McKibben was arrested, he reportedly gave information that led police to Custer’s residence on Washington Street in Bloomington.
After getting a search warrant, police went to Custer’s residence where they reportedly found about a gram of cocaine, a pound of marijuana, a digital scale and marked money from undercover buys by the Indiana University Police Department.
“Detectives later discovered Custer was getting the cocaine from someone else out of town,” said Hannum.
Custer, of Milford, was arrested Feb. 13 and faces one count of possession of cocaine and one count of possession of marijuana with intent to deliver. Both are Class D felonies.
“We could have charged Custer with possession of cocaine with the intent to deliver, which is a Class B felony, since he had the buy money in his apartment,” Hannum said. “But we would have to prove (Custer) distributed the cocaine, which would be difficult.”
Custer posted bond last week and appeared in Monroe County Circuit Court II Friday for an initial hearing. He entered a plea of not guilty on both counts.
A pre-trial hearing for Custer will be March 29 at 3 p.m. in Monroe County Circuit Court.
The arrests were the result of a four-month long investigation by the Indiana University Police Department.
When asked if more charges could come from the arrests, Hannum said “It’s very possible. You never know. When you shake the tree, something usually falls out.”