Two residents of the Rose Hill Estates subdivision in Chesterton were arrested Tuesday on charges of dealing cocaine, the Porter County Drug Task Force (DTF) said.

Charged with three counts of dealing cocaine—two Class A felony counts and one Class B—was Andrea Lashon Coleman, 33, of 1920 Cory Lane, a DTF agent told the Chesterton Tribune today. Charged with two counts—both Class B felony—was Jerry Coleman Jr., 40, also of 1920 Cory Lane.

A Class A felony is punishable by a term of 20 to 50 years; a Class B, by a term of six to 20,

The Colemans were taken into custody around mid-afternoon on Tuesday, after DTF agents executed a search warrant at their residence. Found there were some paraphernalia and a very small amount of suspected crack cocaine, the DTF agent said.

Warrants for their arrest were issued after a confidential source, over the last month or so, made five separate purchases of crack cocaine from the Colemans, the DTF agent added.

Andrea Coleman was charged with two Class A felonies, in addition to the Class B count, because two of her three sales were for crack cocaine in excess of three grams, the DTF agent said: 3.5 grams on one occasion, 5.6 grams on the other.

Children at the residence on Tuesday were turned over to the custody of Child Protective Services, the DTF agents said.

Posted 4/25/2012