Second Indianapolis man charged in murder of poker player in Westfield

By GREGG MONTGOMERY
WISH-TV | wishtv.com

A second Indianapolis man has been accused in the homicide of a Westfield man who was an international poker player and a known marijuana dealer, police said Wednesday afternoon.

James “Matt” Lushin, 47, was found dead shortly after 7:25 p.m. March 12 with trauma at his home in the 3900 block of Westfield Road, also known as State Road 32. Someone had called police when Lushin didn’t show up for an appointment. Police found Lushin dead from multiple gunshot wounds. Police said it was the first homicide in the Hamilton County city in about seven or eight years.

Ronald Dewayne Brown Jr., 50, was charged March 30 in Hamilton Circuit Court with murder in the case.

On Wednesday, Westfield Police Department said in a media notification that Justin A. Jones, 40, was taken into custody for his suspected involvement in this case. An arrest warrant for Jones was issued Friday from Hamilton Superior Court 5 with preliminary felony charges of murder; conspiracy to commit murder; armed robbery; and theft where the value is between $750 and $50,000. He also was charged with a misdemeanor count of dealing in marijuana. Online court records showed no initial hearing had yet been set for Jones.

Westfield Police Department said its officers served arrest and search warrants about 6:45 a.m. Wednesday in the 1900 block of Breman Lane on the far east side of Indianapolis, where Jones was taken into custody.

The media notification from Westfield Police Department was sent after the Hamilton County Clerk’s Office had closed, so court documents that police submitted to prosecutors on Jones’ case were not immediately available publicly.

Regarding the previous arrest in the homicide, prosecutors in March said that Brown had been paying Lushin for more than a year for marijuana.

Court documents show that detectives found several pouches in Lushin’s home containing marijuana and cellphones. They said friends and family told them Lushin dealt marijuana. Lushin was also a known gambler, including trips to Amsterdam and Spain as well as local cash games, police learned. During a follow-up search of Lushin’s property, detectives found nearly $16,000 in cash in the master bedroom and nearly 11 pounds of marijuana in a safe in a nearby structure.

Investigators found Lushin had ties to Brown. Sources told detectives that Lushin had loaned Brown somewhere between $20,000 and $70,000 worth of marijuana, and that Brown owed Lushin money. Investigators said Brown paid Lushin a total of $17,900 in a series of installments through CashApp from January 2025 through March 5.

Police said in March that investigators on March 27 served search warrants at three Indianapolis homes associated with Brown, taking him into custody at one on the east side in the 3300 block of North Butler Avenue. In the home, investigators found packages of marijuana, cellphones and laptops, and a handgun loaded with ammunition that matched shells found at the crime scene.

Hamilton County Prosecutor Josh Kocher said in March that his office has several theories for a motive but would not offer any details, saying they were circumstantial. He said in March that prosecutors did not have any additional suspects in the case, although prosecutors expected more people could come forward with new information.

Lushin’s obituary said the Kokomo native was a key partner with the real estate investment company, FLF Property. The obituary also said, “Matt was also a respected and accomplished member of the international poker community. He traveled the world competing in tournaments and built an impressive and successful career.”

This story was originally published by WISH-TV at wishtv.com/news/crime-watch-8/2nd-indianapolis-man-charged-in-murder-of-poker-player-in-westfield.