The former owner of N.O.W. Counseling, an addiction center in Evansville, was arrested for selling drugs to people attending the center.
Evansville Police say that the former owner, Michael Hagedorn, and two other people were arrested for the drug operation.
The investigation began into Hagedorn after police got numerous tips that he dealing large amounts of drugs. Detectives monitored his home on N. Second Avenue.
Thursday, an officer watching the house saw Hagedorn arrive in his car, enter the home with another man, then quickly return to the car to leave. Within the context of the case, the officer believed this to be a drug transaction, so he followed the car until pulling it over for a traffic stop. At first, Hagedorn refused to comply with officer commands to leave to car.
In plain view in Hagedorn’s car police found meth, drug paraphernalia, and a gun. Police put him under arrest, then Hagedorn informed police that there was another man involved and more evidence of drug dealing can be found at the home on N. Second Avenue and another house at Newburgh Road. Police say that Hagedorn told them he’d give money to others who would purchase the drugs out of town.
Police went to search the homes. Two people were in the home that police were monitoring, Kyle Dersch and Sidnee Roberts. Alongside finding a gun, police seized around $3,500, meth, cocaine, heroine, fentanyl, mushrooms. They arrested both Dersch and Roberts.
At the Newburgh Road house, police found the drugs and guns that Hagedorn said. Nine guns were in the home with personal body armor. Marjiuana was found with ledgers detailing names of people who owed Hagedorn anywhere between $800-$43,000.
Behind a toy kitchen set in a child’s room was a false vent with a hidden room. Inside was a safe and an empty can for ammunition.
When police interviewed Hagedorn, he admitted to selling the drugs to people who were attending services at N.O.W. Counseling.
