NEW BUFFALO MAN ARRESTED FOR ALLEGEDLY SELLING METHAMPHETAMINE NEAR NEW BUFFALO MIDDLE SCHOOL

By: Stan Maddux
A New Buffalo man is looking at potential time in prison for allegedly selling methamphetamine.
Mark Wingard, 45, is charged with dealing methamphetamine, maintaining a drug house and engaging in illegal drug related activity close to a school.
Wingard was still being held in the Berrien County Jail awaiting the outcome of his case a month after his arrest on February 16 at his residence at 1305 Bell Ave., which is just a short walking distance from New Buffalo Middle School-High School.
The amount of methamphetamine seized from his home was not disclosed.
However, Berrien County Police Deputy Shawn Yech said enough methamphetamine to distribute for sale was confiscated during a search of the dwelling.
Other items seized included used syringes and used smoking pipes along with other things like a digital scale, packaging material and some processed marijuana, he said.
Yech said Wingard was dealing methamphetamine to support his habit and profit financially.
“It appeared like most people that Mark Wingard was using and selling drugs,” he said.
He said the investigation began late last year in response to anonymous concerns about heavy vehicular traffic at his residence and information about his alleged dealings that surfaced from other unrelated drug cases in Berrien County.
Yech said his activities were not on a large scale but he did have customers from a fairly wide area in places like Galien and Michigan City, Ind.
“There was quite a few people buying and selling for Mark Wingard,” he said.
Yech said the investigation will now focus on determining who was supplying the drugs for Wingard to sell.