The Indiana State Police in Fort Wayne and the Better Business Bureau (BBB) of Northern Indiana are teaming up to remind citizens to be aware of the scam circulating in which callers purport to be from the Internal Revenue Service (IRS).

According to the BBB, these scams most often start with a phone call and take two basic forms. In the first version, the IRS “agent” says you owe back taxes and pressures you into paying by a prepaid debit card or wire transfer. If you don’t comply, the scammer threatens you with arrest and fines. In the other version, scammers claim they are issuing tax refunds and ask you for personal information so they can send your refund. This information can later be used for identity theft. Scammers also use this approach to target college students by claiming a “federal student tax” has not been paid.

You are pressured to act quickly. Scammers typically try to push you into action before you have time to think. They insist payment be made by wire transfer, prepaid debit card, or other non-traditional payment methods. These methods are largely untraceable and non-reversible.

These calls are very intimidating. Being arrested, thrown in jail, and owing lots of money are sure to shake people up, and as such, people instinctively pull out their wallets to make the threats go away. Please be assured that these calls are not legitimate.   

The IRS will give you the chance to ask questions or appeal what you owe. Also, their first contact with you will always be by mail, not phone or email and will never demand immediate payment, require a specific form of payment, or ask for credit card or debt card numbers over the phone.

If you receive unsolicited phone calls or emails from what may appear to be the IRS or any other organization, and wish to verify their validity, you are encouraged to contact the BBB of Northern Indiana directly at (260) 423-4433.  You can also view the different types and locations of scams using the “Scam Tracker” feature by following this link https://www.bbb.org/scamtracker/us. The BBB also offers 10 tips on how to avoid scams by following this link https://www.bbb.org/avoidscams/.

A 36-year-old Mooresville man was arrested Thursday afternoon for possession of over 10 pounds of Marijuana. 

The suspect was identified as Michael B. Basey, 36, Mooresville.  

Several packages of marijuana totaling over 10 pounds, paraphernalia, digital scales and ledgers were located during the search.

Basey was arrested and incarcerated in the Morgan County Jail.

Charges Filed were:

• Dealing Marijuana over 10 pounds
• Possession of Marijuana of 10 pounds
• Reckless possession of paraphernalia
• Dealing Marijuana within 1000 feet of a School

Just before 2p, Indiana State Police Bloomington Detectives, Indiana State Police SWAT Central Team, the United States Postal Service and the Mooresville Police Department served a search warrant at 903 N. Indiana Street.

After a male resident exited the residence and told officers his “30ish” year old grandson was upstairs in his bedroom, ISP SWAT began observing movement in an upstairs window. 

SWAT used multiple audio and visual tactics in an attempt to get the remaining occupant to exit the residence.

No communication was returned by the subject as ISP SWAT continued to give loud verbal commands to do so.

Regarding the close proximity to local schools, Mooresville Consolidated School System was given notice and a cautionary school lock down was put into place. 

ISP SWAT deployed their robot just before 3p and the subject peacefully surrendered and was taken into custody.

Brown Township Ambulance assisted staging near the area.

Recently, a four month investigation by the Indiana State Police Organized Crime and Corruption Unit ended with the arrest of Patriot, Indiana man on charges of theft and official misconduct charges related to the theft of money from the Patriot Volunteer Fire Department while he was the fire chief.

The Indiana State Police was contacted in October of 2018 to conduct an investigation after an audit by the Indiana State Board of Accounts discovered that funds were missing from the Patriot Volunteer Fire Department in Switzerland County, Indiana.

During the course of the investigation, Detective Tim Denby learned that the Patriot Fire Chief Gordon W. Turner, Jr., age 45, Patriot, Indiana allegedly stole in excess of $28,000 from the fire department’s bank accounts and used the money to pay his bills and for other personal gain. 

The thefts allegedly took place between 2014 and 2018 when Turner was the fire chief. 

At the conclusion of the investigation, the investigation was presented to the Switzerland County Prosecutor’s Office. 

On February 22, 2019, Turner was arrested without incident on four felony charges of Theft and four felony charges of Official Misconduct.

Turner was incarcerated at the Switzerland County Jail pending his initial court appearance in the Switzerland County Circuit Court.

An appointed Special Judge from Monroe County signed an arrest warrant today for Martinsville Chief of Police Matthew D. Long, charging him with Theft and Official Misconduct.

In late January of this year, the Indiana State Police along with the Indiana State Board of Accounts were asked by the Morgan County Prosecutor’s Office to investigate criminal allegations against Long.

The findings of that investigation were taken to a special prosecutor and probable cause was found for the issuance of a warrant for the arrest of Long.

Long remained cooperative with investigators and turned himself in to detectives earlier this afternoon at the Morgan County Jail where he bonded out to face impending court appearances.

There is no further information at this time.