Howard County deputies say a suspected meth drop near the courthouse inmate holding area in Kokomo ended with two people in handcuffs. The package was discovered on July 9, and by July 15 the sheriff's office had announced the arrests of Jennifer White and Peyton Leveridge on preliminary felony charges related to dealing and trafficking.
In a Facebook update from the Howard County Sheriff's Office, Captain Jordan J. Buckley said White was booked on preliminary counts that include dealing in methamphetamine (a Level 5 felony), possession of methamphetamine (Level 6), and dealing a Schedule I, II or III controlled substance (Level 6). Leveridge was arrested on a preliminary charge of trafficking with an inmate, a Level 5 felony. Investigators said they recovered a package near the courthouse holding area that contained suspected methamphetamine and noted that the investigation is still active.
Investigation and Evidence
The sheriff's Task Force Unit is handling the case, according to the agency's news page on the Howard County Sheriff's Office site. Detectives reported that the package found on July 9 near the holding area tested presumptively positive for methamphetamine and was seized for full lab analysis. Officials are asking residents to send in tips through the office's mobile app or website as investigators track down additional leads.
Local Trend: Multi-Agency Drug Probes
These latest arrests line up with a recent wave of multi-agency drug operations in Howard County that have produced significant narcotics seizures and a stack of felony counts, according to local coverage. Earlier this summer, Kokomo police and county task forces served coordinated warrants that turned up both drugs and firearms. Those efforts, which have leaned on controlled buys and carefully timed warrant service, mirror the strategy the sheriff's office says it is using in the current case, as detailed in reporting on citywide drug raids.
Legal Note
The sheriff's release emphasizes that the filing of information is only an allegation and that everyone charged is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty in court, language that is repeated in the agency's public statement from the Howard County Sheriff's Office. The charges against White and Leveridge are preliminary and subject to review by prosecutors, who will decide on any formal filings and set court dates as the investigation moves forward.
How to Share Tips
Anyone with information is urged to contact investigators through the sheriff's mobile app or via the department website. Phone numbers and online reporting options are listed on the official news page of the Howard County Sheriff's Office. Residents who prefer to stay anonymous can also route information through local tip lines while the task force continues its work.
