Logansport mayor's son arrested

LOGANSPORT, Ind. (Pharos Tribune) -  Logansport Mayor Ted Franklin's son was arrested Friday night, and police say they recovered a half-pound of marijuana from a car registered to the mayor, according to our newsgathering partner, the Pharos Tribune.

Police say Jeremy A. Franklin, 30, was driving the car at the time.

Ted Franklin said via email that his son was "in the process of purchasing" the vehicle.

Jeremy Franklin remained in Cass County Jail on Saturday on preliminary charges of dealing marijuana and possession of marijuana, both class D felonies, according to a Cass County Sheriff's Office press release.

Jail staff said the man also was being held on a 15-day probation hold.

According to the release, a confidential informant bought one ounce of marijuana from Jeremy Franklin on Friday using "police buy money."

Officers say Jeremy Franklin was then stopped by deputies at the intersection of Smith Street and Dividend Drive in Logansport.

Authorities say a  drug dog indicated the "presence of narcotics" inside the car, and deputies located the half-pound of marijuana in the back seat.

Jeremy Franklin was arrested and taken to jail just before 7 pm., and jail intake and police records list his address as the same as his father's.

Officers say  the investigation continues, and further arrests are possible.

Ted Franklin did not return two calls for comment Saturday, but in an email statement to the Pharos-Tribune, he acknowledged his son was buying the vehicle from him.

"My family and I were disappointed and very saddened to learn of my son's arrest," Ted Franklin wrote.

The mayor also vowed to stay out of any criminal investigation related to the incident.

"I support my son the way any father would, but he is a 30-year-old adult now and must face the judicial system the way anyone else would," the email stated.

"The police department will conduct the investigation without interference from me or anyone else."

It's unclear what criminal case the 15-day probation hold might stem from.

Online court records indicate that Jeremy Franklin pleaded guilty to class B felony burglary in September 2006.

As part of a plea agreement, his sentence included seven years on probation.

In a separate case that same year, he pleaded guilty to residential entry, a class D felony.

As part of a plea agreement, online records state, charges of possession of a controlled substance and possession of marijuana were dismissed.