Hillsboro man sentenced to community control in Task Force case
A Hillsboro man charged in connection with a Highland County Task Force investigation earlier this year was sentenced to community control on a meth trafficking charge this week.
Billy Rhoads, 60, was indicted in May on five charges, including two counts of aggravated trafficking in methamphetamine, both fourth-degree felonies; two counts of aggravated possession of methamphetamine, both fifth-degree felonies; and a forfeiture specification.
Rhoads pleaded guilty to one of the trafficking counts in June, according to court records. That charge alleged that on or about July 7, 2022, Rhoads sold .47 gram of meth to a confidential informant (CI) working with the Task Force. The transaction allegedly occurred at Rhoads’ residence.
The other four charges were dismissed.
During a sentencing hearing Aug. 7, Highland County Common Pleas Court Judge Rocky Coss sentenced Rhoads to three years of community control and ordered him to successfully complete substance use disorder treatment. Rhoads was also ordered to pay a $5,000 fine, as well as $100 in restitution to the Task Force.
As previously reported, local law enforcement executed search warrants and made multiple arrests in Hillsboro, Greenfield and Rocky Fork Lake areas May 9, after a Highland County grand jury handed down 15 indictments in connection with Highland County Task Force investigations.
The charges were the result of ongoing work of the Highland County Task Force and local county law enforcement partners to stop drug trafficking in the area. Highland County Task Force, Highland County Sheriff’s Office, Hillsboro Police Department and Greenfield Police Department officers participated in the May 9 arrest roundup.
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