Solsberry man arrested on drug related charges

Andrew L. Rippy, 23, Solsberry, was taken into custody Saturday and booked into the Greene County Jail by Lt. Harvey Holt of the Bloomfield Police Department.

A warrant for Rippy's arrest was issued on Oct. 20 after preliminary charges of possession of a controlled substance, a class D felony, and reckless possession of paraphernalia, a class B misdemeanor, were filed against him in Greene Superior Court.

The charges stem from an incident that occurred on Sept. 22 when a caseworker from Child Protective Services, accompanied by Greene County Sheriff's Deputy Jeremy Inman, arrived at a residence on Oak Haven Dr. near Solsberry.

According to a probable cause affidavit written by Deputy Inman, the caseworker was there to remove two children from the home.

The first person they encountered was a man working on a lawn mower in the yard. The man was later determined to be Rippy but twice, he gave another name.

After Rippy gave his real name, he was asked if he would take a drug test but he said he didn't want to. He was also asked if he had any drugs on him and he said he didn't.

The affidavit states the deputy asked to check Rippy's person and Rippy agreed. But the deputy reported finding Oxycontin pills which he did not have a valid prescription to possess and also an item of paraphernalia used to snort the crushed pills.

Oxycontin contains oxycodone, a Schedule I controlled substance.

Rippy was not arrested on the scene but information was forwarded to the Greene County Prosecutor's Office and charges were later filed.

Following his arrest, Rippy was being held without bond pending his appearance at an initial hearing.

Rippy was also involved, as a victim, in an incident late in January but no charges were filed against him. Charges were filed against Cecil Gallen, who allegedly entered Rippy's home and intimidated him in an effort to collect a $25 debt. When Gallen refused to leave, Rippy reportedly grabbed a muzzleloader, that had no primer, and but didn't point it.