Former Caldwell County Deputy convicted of stealing facing a new drug charge

St. Joseph Post..Former Caldwell County Deputy Brett O'Dell, 29, of St. Joseph, convicted of stealing prescription medications and cash from the evidence vault is facing a new drug charge. O'Dell was charged Sunday in DeKalb County with a felony for possession of a controlled substance.

Deputy Kyle Schmitz with the DeKalb County Sheriff's Office said in court documents that on Sunday around 1 a.m. he saw a Toyota sedan traveling westbound on 36 Hyw. "As the vehicle passed through my headlights I observed it to have a large amount of grass dragging the roadway," said Schmitz. "I observed the front driver's side tire to be flat and omitting sparks from the wheel on the roadway."

Schmitz said he stopped the vehicle and saw that the rear bumper was missing and the front bumper was dragging the roadway and the driver's side wheel was bent. "I advised him the reason for the stop, Mr. O'Dell gave a blank stare and responded, 'really I didn't know,'" Schmitz said.

Schmitz said he advised O'Dell he would have to check him for weapons before seating him in his patrol vehicle. "Mr. O'Dell complied stating, 'I was a cop, I understand, no problem," Schmitz said.

After a search Schmitz said he found a soft case containing two cut down straws and a clear plastic baggy containing a white residue commonly used to transport illegal drugs. The white residue tested positive for methamphetamine.

"I advised Mr. O'Dell, you used to be a cop then you know what happens next," Schmitz said.

After searching the vehicle, Schmitz located a glass pipe and an ink pen with no cartridge, both containing white residue.

"Mr. O'Dell admitted to smoking methamphetamine prior to driving. He stated he thught he ran over a semi tire and ran off the roadway," Schmitz said. "While in my vehicle O'Dell stated he was  unsure what he hit but was certain he ran into the center median of 36 Hwy. near Osborn. O'Dell stated his car was in good condition when he left this morning and he was uncertain how it got in the shape it was in at the time of the stop."

In March of 2014, O'Dell was charged with stealing prescription drugs and around $5,000 in cash from the Caldwell County Evidence vault. He pleaded guilty and received a sentence of five years supervised probation.

O'Dell is currently being held on $25,000 bond in the Daviess/DeKalb Regional Jail. A preliminary hearing is set for Sept. 8.