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Alleged drug trafficker pleads not guilty

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A man who faces decades in prison for drug crimes pleaded not guilty to 10 felonies related to trafficking cocaine, oxycodone and hydrocodone.

Terry A. Harris, 51, of Zanesville, appeared for arraignment Wednesday in Muskingum County Common Pleas Court. He was charged with trafficking in cocaine, possession of cocaine, three counts of trafficking in oxycodone, three counts of possession of oxycodone, trafficking in hydrocodone, possession of hydrocodone and possession of alprazolam. The final count is a misdemeanor.

His bond was continued at $500,000.

In May, law enforcement recovered approximately $150,000 worth of cocaine and $4,000 worth of prescription pills from Harris’s residence on Columbia Street. Officers identified Harris as a suspect with assistance from the Ohio Board of Pharmacy, which was conducting its own drug investigation, Muskingum County Sheriff Matt Lutz previously said.

Detectives with the Muskingum County Sheriff’s Office and Zanesville Police Department joint drug unit also found several digital scales, several baggies with residue and approximately $12,000 in cash in addition to the drugs.

Published by zanesvilletimesrecorder.com

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Alleged drug traffickers indicted in Ottawa County

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An undercover investigation yielded multiple drug trafficking-related indictments for Ottawa County residents.

Three people were arrested as part of the investigation on Friday, according to a news release.

“We have an addiction issue in the county and throughout the state,” Ottawa County prosecutor James VanEerten said. “One issue is the prevalence and availability of drugs. We’re trying to hold those dealing the drugs as accountable as we can. We also want to charge people when they cause an overdose.” [Read more…]

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Arrests made in Chesapeake drug bust

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Two people were arrested on drug charges Thursday in Chesapeake, following a traffic stop by Chesapeake Police Chief Randy Lewis.

Lewis stopped a vehicle, operated by Richard S. Thompson, 35, of 103 Township Road 1118, Chesapeake, while investigating a drug trafficking complaint.

The passenger in the vehicle was Billy C. Edwards, 34, of RT1 Box 467, Milton, West Virginia. [Read more…]

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Prescription pill dealers profit on suffering of others

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While both law enforcement and elected officials say they cannot merely arrest their way out of the problem, they say the opioid epidemic sweeping across the community is largely caused by drug dealers profiting on the suffering of others.

The Ottawa County Drug Task Force is dedicated to doing as much as possible to curb it.

Joel Barton, an Ottawa County Sheriff’s detective assigned full-time to the drug task force, has served as a police officer for over 20 years. [Read more…]

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Grant aids Medway’s efforts to keep drugs, dealers off the streets

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The amount of a federal grant that funds Medway Drug Enforcement Agency operations continues to dwindle, but it still provides much-needed financial help to take drug dealers and illegal drugs off the streets.

Medway Director Don Hall told the county commissioners Wednesday, the amount goes down every year, and the $35,000 grant is about $5,000 less than a year ago.

“There’s been talk over the years that it might disappear,” Hall said.

The Justice Assistance Grant is one of the oldest on the books that Budget Director Carol Zemrock can remember. She said it has probably been cut in half over the past 20 years, but it has leveled off in recent years.

“The need for it has not leveled off,” Commissioner Ron Amstutz said. [Read more…]

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Heroin: Your first time may be your last

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