Peru – Friday night, a traffic stop by Indiana State Trooper Luke Bowyer led to the arrests of two Saint Josephs’ County men on drug charges.

Trooper Bowyer initiated a traffic stop on a 1997 Honda Civic which had allegedly committed multiple unsafe lane movements while traveling on southbound U.S. 31 near Business 31, in Miami County.  As Bowyer was speaking with the Honda’s driver, Mark Kuzmits, 23, North Liberty, IN, he detected a strong odor of an alcoholic beverage emitting from the car. While Trooper Bowyer was determining Kuzmits’ level of intoxication, Trooper Daniel Prus and his narcotics detecting police dog, Zeke, arrived to assist.

Prus deployed Zeke to conduct a free air sniff around the Honda.  Zeke gave a positive alert to the odor of illegal narcotics inside the car. During a subsequent search of the Civic, officers allegedly found a personal use amount of cocaine, prescription medication, a misdemeanor amount of marijuana, drug paraphernalia, and open alcohol containers. 

Kuzmits was incarcerated in the Miami County Jail on a felony charge for possession of cocaine. He also faces two misdemeanor charges for possession of marijuana under 30 grams and possession of drug paraphernalia. He was also issued a citation for having open alcohol containers. The investigation revealed he was not too intoxicated to drive.
 
Parker Brown, 20, South Bend, IN, a passenger in the Honda, was also arrested. He was incarcerated in the Miami County Jail on two class D felony counts for possession of cocaine and possession of a schedule II narcotic. He also faces three misdemeanor charges for possession of marijuana under 30 grams, possession of drug paraphernalia, and illegal consumption of alcohol by a minor. He was also issued a citation for having open alcohol containers.

Trooper Wendell Beachy also assisted with this investigation.