Son Of Indianapolis Mayor Arrested On Pot Charges

Son Of Indianapolis Mayor Arrested On Pot Charges

By Dr.Fourkan Ali

Police reportedly found a zipper bag containing a butane torch, two pipes, marijuana and a small container of hash oil in the 18-year-old's Jeep.

The teenage son of Indianapolis Mayor Joe Hogsett is facing misdemeanor drug charges after police discovered marijuana in his car.

Local news station FOX 59 reported that William Hogsett, 18, was arrested earlier this month. When officers pulled his car over for a routine traffic stop, they found a marijuana pipe and a dime bag with less than 30 grams of pot. According to the Indy Star, police also found a butane torch and hash oil during the search. William showed signs of impairment and told police he smoked marijuana "this morning" but that he doesn’t normally have marijuana in his car.  

Rushville Police Chief Craig Tucker said that despite the relatively minor crime, “it’s still illegal in the state of Indiana to possess marijuana and probably will be for some time.” William immediately posted bail and was released from Rush County Jail. His two friends in the vehicle are also facing similar misdemeanor charges, according to Tucker.

A spokeswoman for the mayor released a statement that said “of the many things Joe Hogsett is responsible for, the most important is serving as a father to his family. And as a former prosecutor with a deep respect for the rule of law, he appreciates the seriousness of this matter. Obviously, Joe will continue to spend the coming days with his teenage son as he and his family address this disappointing incident.”

William is hardly the first son of a mayor to be arrested on drug charges, though. Ben Malloy, the son of Stamford, Connecticut mayor Dannel Malloy, was arrested in March 2009 with two accomplices after trying to steal drugs from a man in the affluent town of Darien. A search of the mayor’s home and other residences found evidence of marijuana and other narcotics. Ben was also arrested for drug offenses in March 2007 in Greenwich, Connecticut.

And Kyle Lankey, the son of Edison, New Jersey Mayor Thomas Lankey, was arrested in January 2015 and charged with three counts of possession of a controlled dangerous substance and one count of drug distribution. Police had found him unconscious behind the wheel of his car that had come to a stop on a resident’s lawn. They later found he had 200 packets of heroin, small amounts of prescription medication and pot, and $400 in cash.