A routine traffic stop over cellphone use in Griffith, Indiana, turned into something much bigger on Oct. 24 when officers discovered the driver was a registered sex offender wanted on active warrants in two counties. Adam Gary, 47, of Gary, Indiana, was booked into the Lake County Jail after a Griffith police corporal spotted him allegedly driving with a phone held up to his face.
A Phone, a Patrol Car, and a Wanted Man
According to WTHR, the corporal was patrolling near the 3300 block of North Colfax Street in Griffith when he saw a man driving while holding a cellphone in front of his face, prompting a traffic stop. When officers ran Gary's information, they learned he was wanted on active warrants out of both Lake and Porter counties, police said.
Gary did not have his driver's license on him during the stop, the station reports, and he allegedly told police he had recently moved and had not updated the address on file. Registered sex offenders are required to keep their driver's-license address current, according to the same report.
Two Counties, Two Separate Warrants
Online court records cited by the station show the warrants stemmed from separate cases. A Lake County warrant was issued Sept. 25 on cocaine- and methamphetamine-possession allegations, while a Porter County warrant dated Aug. 24 accused Gary of driving while suspended with a prior conviction within the last ten years. Both warrants were active at the time of the Griffith stop, per the report.
Gary was booked into the Lake County Jail on the outstanding warrants following his arrest. Days later, on Oct. 28, the Lake County Prosecutor's Office filed an additional felony count against him for failing to produce identification as a violent sex offender, the outlet reports.
A 2020 Plea Deal Tied to His Registry Status
According to WTHR, Gary's status as a sexually violent predator traces back to a 2020 case in Jasper County, where online court records show he was charged with one count of rape, two counts of sexual misconduct with a minor, and two counts of attempted sexual misconduct with a minor. Under a plea agreement that year, Gary pleaded guilty to one count of sexual misconduct with a minor, and the Jasper County Prosecutor's Office dropped the remaining charges. As part of that agreement, Gary was required to register as a sexually violent predator, a status that carries heightened identification requirements under Indiana law.
Indiana's statutory text addressing failure by a registered offender to possess identification classifies the offense generally as a Class A misdemeanor, but elevates it to a Class D felony when the person is a sexually violent predator or has a prior unrelated conviction, according to archived Indiana legislative text.
What Comes Next
Gary is scheduled to appear in Lake County court for a change-of-plea hearing in his drug-possession case at 8:30 a.m. on Nov. 10, the station reports.
