Dariel Edwin Dodd Jr., 26, of Merrillville, is facing several felony and misdemeanor charges after investigators recorded two cocaine transactions earlier this month and later carried out a search warrant at his apartment, where marijuana, digital scales, packaging materials, and a device used to convert a firearm into a fully automatic weapon were found.
According to a probable cause affidavit, investigators documented two separate drug sales in Lake County during the weeks of January 4 and January 11, 2026. Each sale involved a rock-like substance weighing between five and ten grams, which field-tested positive for cocaine.
Based on those controlled buys, detectives obtained a search warrant for Dodd’s residence in the 2600 block of West 61st Place in Merrillville. Officers executed the warrant on January 28, 2026.
Detectives located Dodd inside the apartment along with two juveniles. Officers found a backpack on the kitchen table containing five baggies filled with a green leafy substance. Inside a kitchen cabinet, officers discovered another baggie with green leafy material, two digital scales, and approximately 200 clear plastic baggies commonly used for narcotics distribution.
The green leafy substance had a combined weight of 35.1 grams and field-tested positive for marijuana.
In the master bedroom, officers located Dodd’s Indiana identification card. Inside the bedroom closet, detectives found a device identified as a firearm “switch,” which converts a semi-automatic handgun into a fully automatic weapon. Under Indiana law, the device is classified as a machine gun component.
Dodd was lodged in the Lake County Jail.
Charges filed January 29, 2026:
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Dealing in Cocaine (Between 5 and 10 grams) — Level 3 Felony
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Dealing in Cocaine (Between 5 and 10 grams) — Level 3 Felony
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Possession of a Machine Gun — Level 5 Felony
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Maintaining a Common Nuisance — Level 6 Felony
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Possession of Marijuana — Class B Misdemeanor