Former Indiana Chief Deputy Charged With Being Mole for Drug Dealer

A former Indiana county chief deputy has been arrested on multiple counts connected to being a mole inside the sheriff’s office for a drug dealer who was arrested in 2022.

The dealer, Tristen Sweney, reportedly called Fayette County Deputy Andrew “Chad” Blaes, 46, on the day his house was raided by state police, demanding to know why he wasn’t informed of the coming raid, WXIN reported. Blaes told him state police had kept the county cops in the dark on the matter.

But investigators had no idea about that at the time. They swept up Sweney, more than $2 million in marijuana and THC, and multiple assault style rifles, but it wasn’t until years later that rumors of a “dirty cop” began surfacing. And now Blaes has been charged with corrupt business influence, bribery, obstruction of justice, and several counts of official misconduct.

Court documents say that Indiana state police and the FBI headed up the investigation and learned that Blaes gave his dealer employer information about police activity and deputy schedules, even tipping off Sweney about any actions against him — and warning deputies off Sweney if they got too close.

The documents say Bales used an app to spoof his phone number in an attempt to hide his identity, but messages from Sweney wishing his “inside man” a happy birthday on Blaes’ birthday and congratulating him on his son’s high school graduation on the day Blaes’ son graduated high school provided clues. Those clues led to invetigators subpoening the app maker and learning that Blaes’ name was attached to the account.

“You and your guys don’t move anything tonite ther (sic) is a bunch of state police stopping people looking for dope so keep ur self and ur guys safe,” Blaes warned Sweney in one of text message.

But that wasn’t all. Informants also provided information about Blaes’ activities, and even some deputies began hearing rumors about the man who had risen to chief deputy in 2023.

One deputy told investigators about a time he had pulled over a buyer leaving Sweney’s house — and learned from that buyer that Sweney had a cop “on retainer” inside the sheriff’s department. That same deputy said that a short time later, he pulled Sweney over after surveilling his house, only to get a phone call from Blaes telling him to back off and “not ruin” Blaes’ investigation into Sweney. He further told the deputy not to question him or search his vehicle.

Another information specifically pointed to Blaes when he was asked about an incident in which Sweney was reportedly warned about a GPS device deputies had placed on an informant’s vehicle. Blaes reportedly asked deputies about the device, and shortly afterward, Sweney called his informant and told him to switch vehicles.

That informant told investigators Blaes was paied between $1,000 and $10,000 a month to be Sweney’s “eye in the sky.”

Blaes retired from the department on January 15, and by the end of the month, the department said in a statement on Facebook that there was an investigation into misconduct by an unidentified employee.

Blaes was arrested on July 30.

Sweney was initially charged with dealing and possession of marijuana over ten pounds and maintaining a common nuisance. He pleaded guilty to the possession charges last year and was ordered to pay a $1,000 drug interdiction fee and $189 in court costs, court records show. But now faces new charges. He was arrested on Friday and charged with corrupt business influence and conspiracy to commit bribery.

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[Featured image: Tristen Sweney and Andrew “Chad” Blaes/Fayette County Jail]