11 indicted on corrupt activity drug charges WATCH THE VIDEO
Lead Summary
By
Brandy Chandler-brandychandler@gmail.com
Eleven individuals, along with real estate and bank accounts, were indicted on 173 counts by a grand jury in Highland County Common Pleas Court in a continuing investigation into patterns of corrupt activity involving a drug pipeline law enforcement says is responsible for bringing heroin into Highland County via Greenfield.
The corrupt activity charges are "intertwined" with cases against nine individuals who were arrested in April in the Greenfield area on similar charges, according to Highland County Sheriff Ron Ward.
The Highland County Sheriff's Office and Greenfield Police Department served the indictments in the drug bust Wednesday morning.
Ward said that breaking down the drug rings that bring heroin and other drugs into the county is a priority in his office because drug crimes have led to an increase in other area crimes, as well as several drug overdoses.
"Law enforcement knows we have a heroin problem here in Highland County, as well as other counties in southwest Ohio," Ward said. "We engaged in a covert investigation in late 2010 (November), which culminated in several indictments being issues in April 2011 (against) several individuals engaging in a pattern of corrupt activity involving the distribution, trafficking and possession of heroin. Some of those cases are now wrapping up. The grand jury met (Tuesday), and we've indicted an additional 11 individuals on 153 counts, with charges of engaging in a pattern of corrupt activity, which is a felony of the first degree."
One of the individuals arrested Ward referred to as the "ring leader" and he has approximately 73 of the 153 counts in the indictment.
"He's responsible for 70 percent of the heroin that's coming into this county," Ward said. "We're hoping this will really cut the supply off."
Some individuals were already in custody in Montgomery County and Clinton County Ward said. The investigation involved the cooperation of law enforcement agencies in those counties, Fayette County, the Pipeline 23 Drug Task Force, and the Bureau of Criminal Identification and Investigation (BCI).
"We believe these drugs are coming in from the Dayton area," Ward said. "It has been a widespread investigation. We conducted several search warrants as a result of this investigation, seized a large amount of drugs in this particular case and in all of these jurisdictions. We've indicted real estate, we've indicted vehicles, we've indicted bank accounts."
Ward said, "It's our intention to send these people to the penitentiary as long as long as we possibly can with working through our prosecutor's office."
Of the nine individuals arrested in April, six have entered into plea agreements, five of which resulted in prison time. Rodger Cassell, Jeffrey Stevens and Zachary Bondurant are currently awaiting trial.
In April Ward said those arrests were "just the tip of the iceberg" and that more arrests were coming. On Wednesday, he said that work into stopping drug trafficking in Highland County continues.
"This is going to be ongoing. We're not done today," Ward said. "This is a priority of our office, to take these dealers off the street. That is an utmost priority because the heroin addicts in this county, (they're) related to all the theft crimes that we're seeing, to all the robberies. We look at this as trying to deter some of the other ancillary crimes that we're seeing with these heroin addicts. Plus, we've had some heroin-related overdose deaths. That is why this is a priority of my office and will continue to be. We're going to continue to try to get them indicted and get these people picked up and put them in jail for as long a period of time as we can. These are very serious charges and we intend to prosecute them to the fullest extent."
Even though the last several drug busts executed have been in the Greenfield area, Ward said that the drug use and trafficking is spread throughout the county.
"In particular investigation, there is a drug pipeline from Dayton to Highland County via Greenfield," Ward said. "This is our efforts to cut off that pipeline, and strangle out the sources. There are other sources of heroin in Highland County, and we are working on those as we speak, and we'll continue to work on those. This is just another step in the direction of trying to make Highland County a safer place to live."
Check back to highlandcountypress.com for more information as it is available.
One of the individuals arrested, Thomas Peters, 30, of Dayton, Ward referred to as the "ring leader," and has 73 of the 173 counts in the indictment.
"He's responsible for 70 percent of the heroin that's coming into this county," Ward said. "We're hoping this will really cut the supply off."
Some individuals were already in custody in Montgomery County and Clinton County, Ward said. The investigation involved the cooperation of law enforcement agencies in those counties, Fayette County, the Pipeline 23 Drug Task Force and the Bureau of Criminal Identification and Investigation (BCI).
"We believe these drugs are coming in from the Dayton area," Ward said. "It has been a widespread investigation. We conducted several search warrants as a result of this investigation, seized a large amount of drugs in this particular case and in all of these jurisdictions. We've indicted real estate, we've indicted vehicles, we've indicted bank accounts."
Ward said, "It's our intention to send these people to the penitentiary as long as long as we possibly can with working through our prosecutor's office."
Of the nine individuals arrested in April, six have entered into plea agreements, five of which resulted in prison time. Rodger Cassell, Jeffrey Stevens and Zachary Bondurant are currently awaiting trial.
In April, Ward said those arrests were "just the tip of the iceberg" and that more arrests were coming. On Wednesday, he said that work into stopping drug trafficking in Highland County continues.
"This is going to be ongoing. We're not done today," Ward said. "This is a priority of our office, to take these dealers off the street. That is an utmost priority because the heroin addicts in this county, (they're) related to all the theft crimes that we're seeing, to all the robberies. We look at this as trying to deter some of the other ancillary crimes that we're seeing with these heroin addicts. Plus, we've had some heroin-related overdose deaths. That is why this is a priority of my office and will continue to be. We're going to continue to try to get them indicted and get these people picked up and put them in jail for as long a period of time as we can. These are very serious charges, and we intend to prosecute them to the fullest extent."
Even though the last several drug busts executed have been in the Greenfield area, Ward said that the drug use and trafficking is spread throughout the county.
"In particular investigation, there is a drug pipeline from Dayton to Highland County via Greenfield," Ward said. "This is our effort to cut off that pipeline and strangle out the sources. There are other sources of heroin in Highland County, and we are working on those as we speak, and we'll continue to work on those. This is just another step in the direction of trying to make Highland County a safer place to live."
• Thomas Peters, age 30, of Dayton, on 73 Counts including Possession and Trafficking of Heroin including in the presence of a juvenile and in the vicinity of a school and engaging in a pattern of corrupt activity.
• Bradley Rickman, age 27, of Greenfield, on five counts including Possession and Trafficking of Heroin and Engaging in a pattern of corrupt activity.
• Jennifer Forsha, age 37, of Greenfield, on 11 counts including Possession and Trafficking of Heroin and Engaging in a pattern of corrupt activity.
• Greg Smith, age 27, Fayette County on nine counts of Possession and Trafficking in Heroin and engaging in a pattern of corrupt activity.
• Quentin Binegar, age 35, of Greenfield, on five counts of Possession and Trafficking in Heroin, including in the vicinity of a juvenile and engaging in a pattern of corrupt activity.
• Roderick F. Croy Jr., age 24, of Greenfield, on nine counts including possession and trafficking in Heroin including in the vicinity of a juvenile and engaging in a pattern of corrupt activity.
• Stephanie Ford, age 44, of Greenfield, on three Counts including possession and Trafficking in Heroin including in the vicinity of a school and engaging in a pattern of corrupt activity.
All of those arrested were taken into custody and transported to the Highland County Justice Center where they will be arraigned before the honorable Rocky A. Coss via video arraignment sometime in the afternoon of August 3, 2011. Bond will be set on these individuals at that time. Law enforcement is still seeking the arrest of four additional individuals at the time of this release and upon their arrest their information will be released.
Check back to highlandcountypress.com for more information as it is available.
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