A 32-year-old Chesterton man was arrested Monday on drug charges after the Porter County Drug Task Force (DTF) said that he sold heroin to a 16-year-old girl whom he’d met at the skate park at 15th Street and Broadway.

Joseph Draus of 1512 Westchester Ave. was being held at the Porter County Jail on preliminary charges of dealing heroin to a minor, a Class A felony punishable by a term of 20 to 50 years; contributing to the delinquency of a minor, a Class C felony punishable by a term of two to eight years; manufacturing/cultivating marijuana over 30 grams, a Class D felony punishable by a term of six months to three years; and possession of paraphernalia, also a Class D felony.

According to a statement released today by the DTF, on Saturday a confidential source (CS) advised agents that a 16-year-old girl of his acquaintance was planning to purchase heroin from her Chesterton supplier and promised to purchase heroin for him as well.

A surveillance operation was conducted by the DTF while an undercover officer and the CS met the girl, who refused to identify her supplier. The undercover officer, however, drove both the girl and the CS to the area of 14th Street and Portage Ave. and dropped them off there, with the understanding that the girl would then walk to her dealer and make the buy.

The girl was under surveillance the entire time and was seen entering and later exiting Draus’ residence at 1512 Westchester Ave., the DTF said. She then returned to the CS and delivered one small packet of heroin to the CS and the undercover officer, whose vehicle was subsequently stopped by Chesterton Police in a previously coordinated arrangement.

The girl was then transported to the CPD station, where she was interviewed by Lt. Jeff Biggs of the DTF, identified her heroin dealer as Joseph Draus, and indicated that she had never used heroin before being introduced to the drug by Draus, the DTF said.

“The juvenile stated that she met Joseph Draus at the skate park in Chesterton,” the DTF said. “At the park Draus befriended her and began conversations about drugs. He provided his phone number to her and told her to call if she every wanted to buy heroin.”

“A couple of weeks after she met Draus, the juvenile called him to inquire about purchasing heroin,” the DTF said. “He directed her to his residence where he sold her heroin. After she purchased her first amount of heroin, Draus showed her how to smash it up with the bottom of a lighter. He then showed her how to line up the crushed heroin and then snort it with a rolled up bill.”

“Since she has met Draus, she believes she has been to his house on 10 different occasions to purchase heroin,” the DTF said. “On every occasion, the juvenile stated that Draus had her snort the heroin in his house off his coffee table in his bedroom.”

On Monday DTF agents again conducted a surveillance of Draus’ residence, which he was seen leaving in a vehicle. Again with the assistance of the CPD, Draus was stopped, taken into custody, and transported to the Porter County Sheriff’s Police.

Biggs and other DTF agents then returned to Draus’ residence, where they spoke to his mother and were allowed to search the home. “Detectives then recovered more drug evidence in Draus’ bedroom,” the DTF said. “Some of the evidence collected indicated heroin use in the bedroom along with a small marijuana-grow operation.”

The DTF said that Draus lives at his mother’s house.

Charges were expected to be filed against Draus later today by the Porter County Prosecuting Attorney’s Office.

Posted 11/3/2009