NAACP president held in cocaine probe

MUNCIE – The president of the local chapter of the NAACP was arrested Wednesday, accused of selling cocaine for a third time to an informant for the Delaware County Sheriff's Drug Unit.

Timothy Wade Miles, 49, is also assistant director of transportation for MITS, and police reports indicate he was in a vehicle owned by the local bus service when he sold the cocaine. One of the transactions occurred in Westside Park as children played nearby, authorities said.

The third alleged cocaine deal this month between Miles and the informant took place early Wednesday evening in downtown Muncie.

Miles was then arrested in a traffic stop near MITS headquarters on East Seymour Street. A deputy reported Miles begged him not to arrest him, saying, "My career and life is over."

The MITS official also reportedly asked the deputy to remove his handcuffs so employees of the bus service would not realize that he was in custody.

Miles later allegedly acknowledged he had gone into cocaine trafficking to raise funds to pay court-ordered child support. He told authorities he routinely bought the drug for $1,250 an ounce and sold it for twice that, reports said.

The Muncie man also told investigators he "just threw his (23-year) career at MITS away."

The bus system's general manager, Larry King, said Thursday that Miles had been suspended from his MITS job pending resolution of the allegations against him.

Miles became president of the local NAACP chapter after the December 2013 death of Michael Harley, who had revived the local chapter of the national civil rights organization in 2010.

Police reports indicate during the Westside Park drug transaction, Miles told the informant he was on his way to a NAACP meeting, showing her a related document and said, "I'm president of that."

A deputy wrote that Miles then laughed and said, "It's crazy."

Efforts to obtain comment from state and national NAACP officials were unsuccessful.

Through both his work with MITS and community activism, Miles is well known locally, and word of his arrest stunned many, including Mayor Dennis Tyler.

"It's tragic and it's sad," Tyler said Thursday. "I've known Tim for many years. You couldn't have ever got me to believe he would get involved in drug trafficking."

The mayor said he felt especially bad for Miles' children.

"Drugs strike and destroy the core of families," he said.

Miles — who has no prior criminal record, according to court records — was released from the Delaware County jail early Thursday after posting a $15,000 bond.

Contact news reporter Douglas Walker at (765) 213-5851. You can also follow him on Twitter @ DouglasWalkerSP .