INDIANAPOLIS — A major drug bust helped Indianapolis police get about 50 pounds of cocaine and other drugs off the streets.
On September 30, 2024, IMPD was following up on an ongoing shooting investigation involving Derrick Griffin.
Police had a warrant to search the 49-year-old's car, identified as a black 2016 Tesla Model X, which was outside of his car shop near 34th Street and Emerson Avenue.
Records show law enforcement established surveillance around the business. Officers watched Griffin exit from the business and walk towards the Telsa that was parked in front of bay #2.
Griffin was seen multiple times going in and out of the business and to and from the Telsa, police say.
When officers approached with the search warrant, they did a protective sweep and detected a strong odor of marijuana coming from inside the business.
Per records, IMPD informed Griffin of the search warrant for his car. A detective asked if Griffin had the keys to his vehicle, but he did not respond. Officers found the keys inside the business office.
After that, officers found numerous bricks of cocaine inside the trunk and a large amount of cash. The cocaine had a cloverleaf logo on the packaging.
A tan handgun was also found underneath the driver's seat.
Law enforcement was granted a state search warrant through the Marion County Superior Court to search the car for more narcotics.
Inside the car, they found the following:
- 19,700 grams of cocaine
- Large amount of money
- Tan Springfield Armory 9mm handgun later identified as stolen
Officers were then granted a search warrant for the business of the Wash Hand Carwash and Detailing.
Inside the business, they found the following:
- Around 2,338 grams of heroin
- 127.6 grams of fentanyl
- 4 digital scales
- 8,000 grams of marijuana
- Large amounts of money
The DEA's office says the significant amount seized is worth a couple of million dollars.
"When you have these drugs that are together, and you see that there was fentanyl also there. It's not hard to take fentanyl and place that into heroin or cocaine,” DEA Special Agent in Charge Michael Gannon said.
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Gannon says this drug bust impacted thousands of lives.
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Griffin's alleged drug trafficking crime is now in federal court.
"If you're out dealing drugs, you are going to eventually be identified,” Gannon said. “When you deal significant quantities of drugs, our job is to put a case together that a prosecutor can feel comfortable bringing into a court and convict beyond a reasonable doubt.”
