Police confiscate guns, drugs and $25,000 cash in probe that leads to 3 arrests

Bloomington police arrested three people Aug. 27 on drug and weapons charges and reported confiscating 25 ounces of methamphetamine, 35 ounces of cocaine, more than 1,000 fentanyl pills and $25,000 cash.

Chloe K. Sullivan, 26, who lives in the 3000 block of South Rogers Street, is charged with seven felonies, including neglect of a dependent. Police say she left her 4-year-old child behind and alone in her apartment after loading her car with illegal drugs and money.

She reportedly drove away around dawn that morning as police arrived to serve a search warrant for her home and vehicle.

“Chloe Sullivan knowingly and intentionally placed (the child) in a state of danger by abandoning (the child) in a residence that is used to deal and possess cocaine and narcotic drugs,” a probable cause affidavit filed in the case said. “Upon locating (the child), he was placed with Chloe's mother by officers."

Inside her 2021 Chevrolet Malibu, the affidavit said, were 700 grams of methamphetamine, about 25 ounces and 750 grams of cocaine, equivalent to 26 ounces.

Police also reported finding more than 1,000 blue pills labeled M-30, counterfeit oxycodone pills that contain fentanyl. A recent CDC report attributed an increasing number of overdose deaths to M-30 pills. More than 115 million were confiscated in the U.S. last year.

Sullivan was booked into the Monroe County Jail at 7:05 Aug. 27 and was still incarcerated Thursday, Sept. 5. Her bond is $50,000 surety and $500 cash; she would have to pay $5,500 to be released. A bond-reduction hearing is scheduled Sept. 9. She’s hired attorney Joe Lozano to represent her.

Also arrested Aug. 27 was Charles A. Morrison III, 30, who lives in the 500 block West Hays Court but has a previous address in Chicago. He’s charged with possession of cocaine, unlawful possession of a firearm by a serious violent felon and possession of marijuana.

According to court documents, police searching Morrison’s apartment found more than $11,000 cash and two Glock handguns inside a locked safe. A bag on the living room floor contained a Patron tequila box that had $2,758 inside. Police confiscated a third Glock pistol and two ammunition magazines that were lying on a counter.

Because of a 2012 controlled substance dealing conviction in Illinois, Morrison is not allowed to own a gun, the affidavit said.

The investigating detective’s affidavit said Morrison admitted using cocaine but denied selling drugs and said he didn’t know anything about the guns police found. He said he was unemployed but couldn’t explain the $14,000 in his apartment.

Morrison posted $1,500 cash to bond out of jail the day he was arrested. During his initial hearing, he was determined to be indigent and a public defender was appointed to represent him.

The third person arrested that day was Jimmie J. Riddle, 29, who lives in the 1400 block of North Woodburn Avenue. He’s charged with dealing in a narcotic drug, dealing cocaine, two counts of unlawful possession of a firearm by a serious violent felon, possession of a narcotic drug, possession of cocaine and possession of marijuana.

He posted the $3,500 cash bond needed to get out of jail the day of his arrest. He pleaded not guilty during an Aug. 30 initial court hearing and said he would hire a lawyer to represent himself.

When police searched Riddle's apartment, they found two loaded Glock handguns, a bag containing psilocybin mushrooms, nine ounces of cocaine, five ounces of marijuana and a large baggie full of M-30, Xanax and other pills, according to a probable cause affidavit. They confiscated $4,784.

BPD Kevin Frank wrote in the affidavit that Riddle admitted he was unemployed and earned money by selling drugs. Riddle has a 2013 Illinois conviction for dealing in controlled substances, which makes it illegal for him to possess a gun.

Contact H-T reporter Laura Lane at llane@heraldt.com or 812-318-5967.

This article originally appeared on The Herald-Times: Probe leads to 3 arrests, three guns, lots of drugs and $25,000 cash