‘Yo can you bring me yo vape’: Greenfield man denies purchasing son drugs, guns
GREENFIELD, Ind. (WISH) — A Greenfield man was arrested Thursday after police say he intentionally bought guns and drugs for his 16-year-old son.
Eric Schenk, 37, is facing felony charges for contributing to the delinquency of a minor, neglect of a dependent, and dangerous control of a child for permitting the child to possess a handgun.
According to a probable cause affidavit obtained by News 8, detectives with the Greenfield Police Department recovered a stolen handgun from a juvenile during one of multiple investigations into juveniles selling drugs and guns.
The handgun, a Walther PPK .22 caliber, was traded to the juvenile by a man previously arrested for owning two illegal handguns. The man told investigators he received the gun from Schenk’s 16-year-old son.
The son was arrested after a search warrant was served on his residence on July 21. Court documents say officers located a loaded 9 mm handgun, a loaded extended magazine, and a gun case containing 9 mm and .22 caliber ammunition.
Investigators also found a “very large number of vape pens for both THC and nicotine, several hundred ‘blunt’ papers, CBD flower, and various pipes and empty alcohol bottles located in the residence.”
According to court documents, investigators spoke with Schenk after his son’s arrest. Schenk “denied having any knowledge repeatedly of any narcotic or drug use or any firearms possession” by his son.
Detectives searched the 16-year-old’s phone and found several texts between Schenk and his son that revealed Schenk “was not only aware that (his son) had firearms and was involved in narcotic and nicotine use, but that (Schenk) provided and bought them for (his son).”
Text messages also show several conversations between Schenk and his son regarding drug paraphernalia and guns. His son asked Schenk to buy him guns, ammunition, new magazines, and bring him vape pens and other drugs.
Investigators also found screenshots of receipts sent by Schenk to confirm he purchased his son a full automatic switch, which is used to turn a gun into a machine gun.
Indiana and federal law considers full automatic conversion switches machine guns and permits are required to own one.
Docs say detectives spoke with Schenk again Thursday regarding his son’s arrest. Schenk continued to deny having knowledge about his son’s drug use or his firearm ownership.
When investigators showed Schenk the texts, Schenk admitted to purchasing his son vape pens so he “wouldn’t get them off the street.” Schenk also said he believed his son only had a gun for protection.
Investigators later learned that Schenk’s son had “4 – 5 full automatic conversion switches and was offering to sell or trade them for drugs to other adults and juveniles in Greenfield.”
Police also suspect that Schenk drove his son to meet with the man he traded the stolen Walther PPK .22 to.
Schenk was being held at the Hancock County jail with a $10,000 bond. A jury trial is set for Dec. 19.
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