By ERIC MEYER

Staff writer

No charges have been filed, but Marion police reportedly are investigating what may be a drug-related ring involving a stolen stimulus check and falsified identification document.

At 6:37 p.m. Dec. 1, Marion officer Aaron Slater stopped a vehicle near 3rd and Welch Sts.

According to monitored radio transmissions, the vehicle was registered to Ashley B. Loomis, 33, Marion, who several hours later was arrested by a sheriff’s deputy for failing to appear in court.

During the traffic stop, police chief Clinton Jeffrey said Monday, Slater’s drug dog, Blue, indicated drugs might be present in the vehicle.

A search reportedly discovered a methamphetamine pipe with meth residue along with a government stimulus check, made out to a person not in the car, and fake identification for the intended recipient of the check.

Monitored police transmissions reveal that over the next 1½ hours, Slater, eventually joined by sheriff’s deputies Joel Womochil and Matt Regier, questioned two occupants of the vehicle.

Slater cited one of them — Ronald Pierce Jr., 54, of Marion — for driving while his license was suspended.

The other — Justin Loomis, 28, of Marion — was questioned but was released pending further investigation and a review of the case by the county prosecutor.

Both they and the vehicle owner have extensive arrest records in Marion County.

Ashley Loomis has been jailed 16 times for a total of 24 days since Oct. 17, 2018.

In addition to her Dec. 1 arrest, she has been arrested on suspicion of obstructing apprehension or prosecution, burglary, theft by deception, criminal damage to property, contempt of court, twice violating probation, and 11 other times failing to appear in court.

Justin Loomis has been jailed seven times for a total of 103 days since Feb. 26, 2018.

His arrests have been on suspicion of possessing a controlled substance and drug paraphernalia, attempted burglary, attempted theft, twice driving with a suspended license, and nine times failing to appear in court.

Pierce has been jailed five times for a total of 85 days since Oct. 31, 2018.

His arrests have been on suspicion of possessing stimulants, opiates, and drug paraphernalia; burglary; theft by deception; criminal damage to property; two counts of regular theft; and twice failing to appear in court.

After stopping the vehicle registered to Ashley Loomis, officers traveled less than two blocks away for follow-up to a residence on S. 4th St. owned by the Loomises’ late father, Michael T. Loomis, who died June 19, 2020, at age 52.

While there, Slater asked that someone with a valid driver’s license from the house be allowed to pick up the car involved.

Around the time, Regier booked Ashley Loomis into jail.

Marion police chief Clinton Jeffrey said Monday that investigation was continuing and that a complete report would be submitted once the investigation has concluded to county attorney Joel Ensey for possible filing of charges.

Despite repeated attempts to reach Marion police Tuesday, Jeffrey did not return a call.