A Michigan City man who the Porter County Drug Task Force (DTF) said was dealing cocaine in Chesterton was arrested Thursday on drug charges.

Aaron Lee Smith, 37, was charged with two counts of dealing cocaine. The charge was upgraded from a Class B felony to a Class A—punishable by a term of 20 to 50 years—because the weight of the cocaine involved was in excess of three grams, Lt. Jeff Biggs of the DTF told the Chesterton Tribune today.

Smith was also charged with one count of possession of paraphernalia, a Class A misdemeanor punishable by up to a year in jail.

Smith’s arrest on Thursday followed an investigation which began in August, Biggs noted.

Biggs added that, during the surveillance of Chesterton resident Joseph Draus—arrested Monday on a Class A felony charge of dealing heroin to a juvenile—Smith was observed visiting Draus at the latter’s home at 1512 Westchester Ave. Biggs speculated that Smith may have been a supplier of Draus.

Smith was transported to the Porter County Jail.

Posted 11/6/2009