HENRY COUNTY, Ind. — A high school basketball coach in Indiana has been suspended after he was charged for dealing and possession of cocaine.
Mike Renfro was arrested after a traffic stop in Henry County, when a deputy stopped a vehicle for failing to use a turn signal and straddling the lane divider, WTHR reported. Renfro was allegedly driving under the speed limit at the time.
Investigators said a Breathalyzer test at the scene showed Renfro’s blood alcohol content to be 0.24%, which is three times the state’s legal limit, WTHR reported.
In court documents obtained by WXIN, a deputy said he could smell alcohol in Renfro’s vehicle. When asked about the odor, Renfro began to cry and admitted to drinking before failing several sobriety tests, the station reported.
Deputies said in the charging documents that while searching Renfro’s car they found multiple small baggies containing a white powdery substance that tested positive for cocaine, WXIN reported. Deputies said there were approximately two grams of the drug found in the car. Officials told WXIN that because Renfro was on the interstate with that amount of the drug, they felt it was reasonable to believe he had an intent to sell the cocaine as well.
Renfro, a teacher and head basketball coach at Beech Grove, led his team to the Class 3A state title last season, the Indianapolis Star reported. It was the first state championship in Beech Grove’s history, and Renfro was named Marion County coach of the year, the newspaper reported.
In a letter sent to families and staff in the school district, Beech Grove City Schools said Renfro was suspended pending an investigation, WXIN reported. “Some in our community may understandably question the district’s hiring practices and how something like this could happen,” BCGS Superintendent Laura Hammack said. “Please know that the individual in question passed all criminal and other background checks required during the hiring process.”
Online jail records indicate that Renfro was released after posting bond.