Greenwood HS golf coach arrested on charges of dealing meth, heroin
GREENWOOD, Ind. (WISH) — Greenwood Community Schools plans to fire a coach arrested on multiple charges of dealing drugs.
Officers arrested 37-year-old Benjamin Beatty on Tuesday in Columbus. Beatty was the boy’s golf coach for the high school and middle school. School leaders said he did not work in the school in any other capacity.
He’s facing charges of possessing and dealing methamphetamine and heroin.
Indiana State Police Sgt. Stephen Wheeles said police do not believe students were involved in any of Beatty’s alleged drug crimes.
“We’re going to do everything in our power to make sure they weren’t in any danger, look into it if they were put in danger and then ensure that they’re not going to be in danger from here on out,” Wheeles said.
Wheeles said ISP worked with the Bartholomew County Joint Narcotics Enforcement Taskforce on the bust.
Police said they pulled over a car Tuesday on State Road 46 on the west side of Columbus. Detectives said they found 33-year-old Jared Elser, along with heroin and a syringe.
Officers said they then stopped another car in the same area and found Beatty and more drugs.
ISP believes Beatty and Elsner were together before the separate traffic stops.
“It’s disturbing that someone that’s in that position and has access to our kids is doing that,” Wheeles said.
Investigators took both men to the Bartholomew County Jail.
Police said they served search warrants at Beatty’s home and at a Motel 6 room in his name and found counterfeit money.
“We believe he was using the hotel room as part of his criminal activity,” Wheeles said.
The school district declined our request for an interview.
Police said Beatty was not cooperative with police.
Officers said search warrants led them to more drugs and packaging material.
After learning of the arrest, Greenwood Community School Corporation released the following statement:
On May 2, 2018, Greenwood Community Schools Superintendent Dr. Kent DeKonick was notified by both the Greenwood Police Department and the Indiana State Police of pending criminal charges being filed against an employee. Benjamin Beatty, high school and middle school boys’ golf coach was arrested in Columbus, Indiana and has been charged with multiple drug offenses. Mr. Beatty does not serve in any other capacity in the school district. Procedures have started to terminate his employment. He has had not contact with students since Dr. DeKonick received notification of the charges being filed.
Based upon information received to this point, all conduct by Mr. Beatty leading to the charges are not connected with any Greenwood Community Schools students. Since this a police matter, the school district will have no further comment at this time.
