Williams County roundup nets 63 drug-related charges
Area law enforcement officers have arrested dozens of people in northwest Ohio this week — initially in Defiance and Fulton counties. Several individuals were then apprehended Thursday in Williams County in yet another
drug roundup by area law enforcement officials.
According to Williams County Sheriff Steve Towns, the roundup was the result of six-month long undercover investigation conducted by the MultiArea Narcotics Task Force (MAN Unit).
In all, 26 people were indicted by a Williams County grand jury on 63 drug-related charges. Several of those individuals were apprehended Thursday morning and made initial appearances in Williams County Common Pleas Court.
Also during the roundup, deputies located a meth lab at a home at 514 Emmett St., Bryan, just after noon. Agents with the MAN Unit dismantled and neutralized the lab while the Bryan Police and Bryan Fire Department assisted at the scene.
The residents of the home, Christa Davis, 21, and Slade Cupp, 21, were both arrested at the scene.
“This is a culmination of a lot of work and we’ve come a long way in the last several years with the cooperation of our road officers and drug agents,” said Williams County Sheriff Steve Towns.
Engel noted that one of the MAN Unit’s mission is not only to remove narcotics from the community but also assist the victims in these cases who are often times children who cannot escape the circumstances in which they are living.
Towns also commended the Williams County Job and Family Services child protection unit, which was on hand Thursday to assist the officers at homes where children were present.
“(Often times) there’s no one there to protect the younger infants and school-age children,” said Towns. “In the long-term we would like to help them and would like for them to be able to be productive members of the community.” Also assisting Thursday was the Montpelier, Pioneer and Stryker police departments, the Williams County dog warden and Williams County Prosecutor’s Office.
Indicted were:
• Christa Davis, 21, Bryan, two counts of illegal manufacture of drugs, second-degree felonies; two counts illegal assembly or possession of chemicals for the manufacture of drugs, third-degree felonies; aggravated possession of drugs, a fifth-degree felony. Davis’ court appearance is pending.
• Austin Kurtz, 20, Montpelier, illegal manufacture of drugs, a second-degree felony; illegal assembly or possession of chemicals for the manufacture of drugs, a thirddegree felony; aggravated possession of drugs, a fifthdegree felony. Kurtz’s court appearance is pending.
• Shawn Ward, 36, Montpelier, illegal manufacture of drugs, a firstdegree felony; illegal assembly or possession of chemicals for the manufacture of drugs, a seconddegree felony. Ward’s court appearance is pending.
• Trent Patterson, 41, Bryan, illegal manufacture of drugs, a first-degree felony; illegal assembly or possession of chemicals for the manufacture of drugs, a second-degree felony; possession of heroin, a fifthdegree
felony. Patterson’s court appearance is pending.
• Joshua Marino, 35, Bryan, illegal manufacture of drugs, a first-degree felony; illegal assembly or possession of chemicals for the manufacture of drugs, a second-degree felony. Marino’s court appearance is pending.
• Kristopher Shutts, 22, Bryan, illegal assembly or possession of chemicals for the manufacture of drugs, a third-degree felony. Shutts’ court appearance is pending.
• Timothy Geleide, 18, Bryan, two counts of illegal manufacture of drugs, firstdegree felonies; two counts of illegal assembly or possession of chemicals for the manufacture of drugs, second-degree felonies; aggravated possession of drugs, a fifth-degree felony. Geleide’s court appearance is pending.
• Slade Cupp, 21, Montpelier, illegal manufacture of drugs, a firstdegree felony; illegal assembly or possession of chemicals for the manufacture of drugs, a seconddegree felony. Cupp’s court appearance is pending.
• Casey Gearhart, 18, Bryan, illegal assembly or possession of chemicals for the manufacture of drugs, a third-degree felony; aggravated possession of drugs, a fifth-degree felony. Gearhart’s bond was set at $25,000. An arraignment was scheduled for Sept. 1.
• Kara Jackson, 25, Edon, aggravated possession of drugs, a fifth-degree felony. Jackson’s court appearance is pending.
• Heather Bible, 41, Bryan, aggravated possession of drugs, a fifthdegree felony. Bible’s court appearance is pending.
• Steven Birr, 53, Montpelier, two counts of aggravated trafficking in drugs, third-degree felonies; permitting drug abuse, a fifth-degree felony. Birr’s court appearance is pending.
• Robert Coffey, 63, Bryan, two counts of aggravated trafficking in drugs, third-degree felonies; aggravated trafficking in drugs, a fourth-degree felony. Coffey was given a personal recognizance bond. An arraignment as scheduled for Aug. 27.
• Danialle Swan, 24, Montpelier, illegal manufacture of drugs, a second-degree felony; illegal assembly or possession of chemicals for the manufacture of drugs, a thirddegree felony; aggravated possession of drugs, a firstdegree felony; possession of heroin, a fifth-degree felony. Swan’s bond was set at $75,000. An arraignment was scheduled for Aug. 25.
• Jerred Barron, 25, Montpelier, two counts of illegal manufacture of drugs, second-degree felonies; illegal assembly or possession of chemicals for the manufacture of drugs, a third-degree felony; two counts of aggravated possession of drugs, first- and second-degree felonies. Barron’s court appearance is pending.
• Mark Oliphant II, 36, Bryan, illegal manufacture of drugs, a second-degree felony; illegal assembly or possession of chemicals for the manufacture of drugs, a third-degree felony; aggravated possession of drugs, a first-degree felony. Oliphant’s court appearance is pending.
• Brian Oliphant, 34, Bryan, illegal manufacture of drugs, a second-degree felony; illegal assembly or possession of chemicals for the manufacture of drugs, a third-degree felony; aggravated possession of drugs, a first-degree felony. Oliphant’s court appearance is pending.
• William Mohr, 37, Alvordton, illegal assembly or possession of chemicals for the manufacture of drugs, a third-degree felony. Mohr’s court appearance is pending.
• David Herman, 47, Bryan, trafficking in marijuana, a fifth-degree felony. Herman was given a personal recognizance bond. An arraignment was scheduled for Aug. 24.
• Dawn Stark, 38, Bryan, trafficking in marijuana, a fifth-degree felony; permitting drug abuse, a fifth-degree felony. Stark was released on a personal recognizance bond. An arraignment was scheduled for Aug. 24.
• Joel Fackler, 24, Pioneer, illegal manufacture of drugs, a second-degree felony; illegal assembly or possession of chemicals for the manufacture of drugs, a third-degree felony. Fackler’s bond was set at $75,000. An arraignment was scheduled for Aug. 27.
• Derrik Stantz, 24, Kunkle, illegal manufacture of drugs, a second-degree felony; illegal assembly or possession of chemicals for the manufacture of drugs, a third-degree felony. Stantz’s court appearance is pending.
• Mary Jo Sanchez, 42, Bryan, two counts of trafficking in heroin, fourthdegree felonies; permitting drug abuse, a fifth-degree felony. Sanchez’s court appearance is pending.
• Joleen Green, 31, Edon, aggravated possession of drugs, a fifth-degree felony; possession of heroin, a fifth-degree felony. Green was given a personal recognizance bond. An arraignment was scheduled for Aug. 25.
• Dustin VanAuken, 31, Stryker, possession of heroin, a fifth-degree felony. VanAuken’s court appearance is pending.
• Chrissie Hinton, 49, Edgerton, aggravated possession of drugs, a fifthdegree felony. Hinton was given a personal recognizance bond. An arraignment was scheduled for Sept. 1.