Zachary R. Livingston, 18, Greenfield
HANCOCK COUNTY — A Greenfield teenager is facing eight different drug and gun charges in relation to an incident in March when he was 17 years old.
County officials say the teenager, who turned 18 on April 14, will be charged as an adult. Judge D.J. Davis of Hancock County Superior Court 1 signed a waiver order June 10 following a hearing June 5 allowing the case to be moved to adult court.
Zachary R. Livingston, 18, 200 block of Rambling Road, has been charged with a Level 3 felony count of dealing in a schedule I controlled substance, a Level 5 felony count possession of a machine gun, a Level 6 felony count of dealing marijuana, three different Class A misdemeanor counts of dangerous possession of a firearm by a child, a Class A misdemeanor count of possession of a scheduled I-IV, and a Class B misdemeanor count of possession of marijuana.
The case against Livingston was opened Tuesday in Hancock County Superior Court 1. However, Livingston already had an initial appearance (June 5) where the court ordered a $9,000 cash bond to be set shortly after his arrest at the Hancock County Jail when Livingston’s case was brought to adult court June 5.
According to a probable cause affidavit, officials had been investigating a home after receiving information relating to the illegal distribution of narcotics and firearms. The alleged crimes were reportedly taking place within the city limits of Greenfield, at Livingston’s address.
The report noted that a 17-year-old juvenile male on electronic home monitoring (house arrest) through Hancock County Community Corrections was communicating via his cellular phone that he had marijuana, psychedelics (shrooms) and firearms that could be purchased. Due to the subject being monitored, all of these narcotic or firearms deals were taking place at his home.
According to the affidavit, on March 5, two investigators with the Department of Homeland Security directly assisted with the investigation by conducting surveillance. On March 5, investigators stated they observed a dark-colored Nissan Maxima approach and pull up to the address in the 200 block of Rambling Road. Investigators stated in the report they observed a male subject exit the garage door at the address.
Officials noted in the report the male was Livingston and he was observed exiting the garage for what they knew to be a “hand to hand” transaction. After observing what officials say was an illegal transaction, investigators relayed the vehicle information to road officers currently on duty. Law enforcement then followed and eventually made a traffic stop on the Nissan Maxima, the report stated.
The driver of the vehicle gave officers consent to search the vehicle, the affidavit said. Officials noted they found marijuana located within the vehicle. Meanwhile, other law enforcement officials continued to watch the home on Rambling Road. Officials say they observed Livingston make another “hand-to-hand” transaction with someone in a dark-colored SUV.
Officials then approached that vehicle as it tried to leave the area as well as approached the home, the affidavit said.
According to the report, officers used an intercom microphone to communicate with anyone inside the home at Rambling Road. Shortly afterward, they noted Livingston exited the home. Due to Livingston being 17 years old at the time, officials stated they waited for his parents to get home before reading details of a search warrant for the property.
According to the affidavit, prior to the search being conducted by investigators, a Glock “switch” had been located from the driver of the dark-colored SUV that had been observed conducting one of the hand-to-hand transactions.
The driver of the SUV confirmed with investigators they had just purchased the switch off of Livingston for a price of $50 during the transaction. A Glock switch is known as a firearm itself — specifically as a machine gun, which is a Level 5 felony in the state of Indiana.
The report also noted that during a search of the home officials found three different Glock handguns, one of which was equipped with another Glock switch . Officials also located a large amount of illegal narcotics and narcotics paraphernalia and packaging.
Other items found in the search included a green, plant-like material, THC vape cartridges and containers with THC liquid. Officials said they also located a large, odor-sealed bag containing brown- and white-colored, plant-like mushroom material.
Officials also noted in the report that Livingston was originally on home detention and being monitored by county officials for a criminal recklessness case out of Rush County.
