Lake County Police:Lake County sheriff's deputy arrested on cocaine, marijuana charges in Porter County

Lake County Police: Drug charges have been filed against a Lake County Sheriff’s Department patrol officer who was the subject of two search warrants at his Portage apartment.

As a result of Tuesday’s search by Portage Police, Gary Pilipovich, 29, has been charged with three Class D felonies: possession of cocaine, possession of a controlled substance and possession of a syringe. He’s also charged with two Class A misdemeanors, possession of marijuana and possession of paraphernalia.

Additional charges could be filed for a Friday raid on his apartment where police found an alleged anabolic steroid lab based on a tip from apartment management. “The investigation is ongoing,” Porter County Prosecutor Brian Gensel said.

The raids at the apartment in the 3300 block of Reserve Drive were made by two law enforcement groups. The Portage Police Department conducted Tuesday’s raid because Willow Creek Estates management had a forced eviction notice for Pilipovich after Friday’s raid.

The investigation into Pilipovich began after an officer assisting with an eviction at an apartment said he saw bag of marijuana in plain sight. Police said they found cocaine in a closet and marijuana in a Lake County sheriff's bag.

Pilipovich has bonded out of jail. It was not immediately known if Pilipovich had hired an attorney.