Knox Man Arrested after Police Find Suspected Heroin in His Possession

A 19-year-old Knox man was arrested Saturday after police found approximately 12 grams of suspected heroin in his possession.

An officer from the Knox City Police Department pulled over a vehicle driven by Matthew Norem in the area of Lake Street and Main Street as the vehicle’s exhaust was too loud and the registration returned expired.

While conducting the traffic stop, officers noticed that the two back seat passengers were fidgeting. All of the occupants in the vehicle were then ordered to exit the vehicle so a search could be conducted. Officers noted seeing a baggie containing a small amount of a white powdery substance on the ground. Other suspected drugs were also found in the vehicle.

Officers thought Norem was acting in a strange manner and reviewed the on-board camera footage from the squad car and saw that Norem had allegedly kicked something underneath the car. He was searched and officers reportedly felt possible contraband in his pants. He was taken into custody.

While at the jail, the jailer searched all of his clothes and found a tube containing a white powdery substance. That was taken into custody, but officers still felt that Norem was hiding something. He was strip-searched and all of his clothes were confiscated. Norem asked if he could have his underwear back, but he was told that he would not be wearing anything that he brought into the jail.

The jailer looked at his underwear and reportedly felt something in the waistband. Inside the waistband, 23 pieces of aluminum foil containing suspected heroin was found.

Matthew Norem, 19, of Knox, was arrested and booked on preliminary charges of Possession of a Schedule I Controlled Substance with Intent to Deliver, a Class A Felony, and Trafficking with an Inmate, a Class C Felony.