4 Port Clinton residents indicted in drug sting

Four Port Clinton residents face charges as the result of an undercover Ottawa County Drug Task Force operation.

Richard Famolare, 37, Jacob Steele, 30, Ronald Bowman, 32, and Catherine Holbrook, 38, were indicted on drug charges by an Ottawa County grand jury.

According to Ottawa County Prosecutor James VanEerten, 14 other people were indicted by the grand jury on a variety of charges unrelated to the drug sting.

Following the drug investigation, Famolare was indicted on two counts of trafficking in heroin and one count of trafficking in cocaine.

Holbrook was indicted on one count of trafficking in cocaine.

Steele was charged with permitting drug abuse.

Bowman was indicted on three counts of trafficking in methamphetamine.

According to Ottawa County Drug Task Force Commander Carl Rider, a confidential informant contacted Rider in October 2017 saying they could purchase methamphetamine from Bowman.

The informant then used $80 of the drug task force's money to purchase drugs from Bowman, a task force report said.

Following the transaction, law enforcement officials initiated a traffic stop on Bowman for driving under suspension, and officers found money that matched the serial numbers of the bills given by the task force to make the alleged drug buy with Bowman.

Famolare is accused of selling heroin to an undercover informant in October 2017 while allegedly being a passenger in Steele's vehicle.

On Oct. 31, 2017, Holbrook is alleged to have sold cocaine to an undercover informant.

The 14 other people indicted by the grand jury were:

  • Dennis Jesse, 36, of Port Clinton, on two counts of felonious assault. Jesse is alleged to have pushed his finaceé out of a moving vehicle in May.
  • Charles E. Skelton IV, of Port Clinton, on one count each of possession of drugs and tampering with evidence after he allegedly was found in possession of cocaine during a March traffic stop in Port Clinton.
  • James Keaton II, of Genoa, on two felony counts of voyeurism and one misdemeanor count of disseminating matter harmful to a minor to juveniles. Keaton is alleged by Clay Township Police to have filmed or spied on a minor in a state of nudity on at least two occasions and showed obscene material to a minor.
  • Corwin Qualls,of Toledo, on two counts of possession of drugs and one count of illegal conveyance of drugs into a detention facility. Qualls is alleged to have been found in possession of heroin and fentanyl inside the Ottawa County Detention Facility in May.
  • Andrew Bogart, on a felony count of inducing panic and one misdemeanor count of possession of a drug instrument after emergency personnel were dispatched to an Oak Harbor residence for a possible overdose.
  • Stacy Haeft, on two counts of possession of drugs and one count of illegal conveyance of drugs into a detention facility. Haeft is alleged by police to have attempted to bring heroin and fentanyl into the Ottawa County Detention Facility.
  • James Taylor, of Port Clinton, on one count each of domestic violence and assault after an altercation in May. The domestic violence charges contains specifications that Taylor has been previously convicted of domestic violence, making his newest charge a fourth-degree felony.
  • Laura Brown, on charges of tampering with evidence, harassing a police dog, possession of drug paraphernalia and possession of drug abuse instruments. Brown is  accused of flushing drugs down an Ottawa County Detention Facility toilet following her arrest.
  • Joshua Harris, on one count each of possession of drugs and drug paraphernalia, assault and disrupting public service. Harris is alleged to have assaulted a woman, stole her phone, and then was found to be in possession of methamphetamine and $6,000 following his arrest.
  • Dana Kincade, on felonious assault and possession of drugs and one misdemeanor count of obstructing official business. Kincade is alleged to have assaulted a woman on East State Road and left the scene.
  • Keith Saxton, of Port Clinton, on two counts of theft and one count each of misuse of a credit card and identity theft. Saxton is alleged by police have spent more than $3,000 on a stolen credit card from April 2017 through May 2018.
  • Everett Lawson, of Bellevue, on one count of failure to appear. Lawson is alleged by police to have failed to attend a hearing at the Ottawa County Common Pleas Court in May.
  • Charles Rescavage III, of Pennsylvania, on charges of leading police on a high speed chase in Oak Harbor June 1.
  • Jacob Rook, of Fremont, on one count each of trafficking in marijuana, possession of drug abuse instruments and possession of drug paraphernalia. According to police, Rook was found to be in possession of marijuana that was packed for distribution during a traffic stop in May.

VanEerten noted that an indictment is a formal charge in the Ottawa County Common Pleas Court and does not denote guilt or innocence.

Published by https://www.portclintonnewsherald.com

 

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