Post by Skells on Jun 22, 2009 0:03:20 GMT -6
www.recordpub.com/news/article/4608620
Record-Courier staff writer
Eight people were arraigned Monday in Portage County Municipal Court on charges of possessing and trafficking drugs at Nelson Ledges Quarry Park during the weekend.
On Friday evening, undercover officers from the Portage County Drug Task Force entered the park with $800 in cash and were approached by several people soliciting drugs. In less than an hour, five people were arrested, according to Portage County Sheriff David Doak.
Cedric Smith, 19, and Bradley Szuber, 20, both of Lima, were arrested and each charged with trafficking in marijuana, a fifth-degree felony. Their bonds were set at 10 percent of $25,000.
Perry Blankenship, 47, of Paw Paw, Mich., was charged with trafficking in psilocybin mushrooms, a fifth-degree felony, after he was discovered with a large amount of the hallucinogen. His bond also was set at 10 percent of $25,000.
Nicholas Melnik, 28, of Lowelville and Case Walters, 20, of Cleveland also were charged with trafficking in psilocybin mushrooms, a fifth-degree felony. Bond for each was set at 10 percent of $15,000.
On Saturday, the sheriff’s office received a report from the park’s security of further drug activity.
When two deputies responded, they arrested three more people.
Alex Morrow, 25, of Greensburg, Ind., was arrested and charged with trafficking drugs, a second-degree felony. His bond was set at 10 percent of $25,000.
Thomas McCusker, 21, of 3689 Beck Road, Mantua, was charged with fifth-degree felony trafficking in cocaine. His bond was set at 10 percent of $75,000.
Frances Blair, 21, of Cleveland, was charged with second-degree felony possession of psilocybin mushrooms. Her bond was also set at 10 percent of $75,000.
Saturday’s bust netted $9,000, Doak said.
Doak said he expects more charges to be filed.
Just near the evidence lockers at the Portage County Sheriff’s Office, Doak held up evidence bags from the weekend’s arrests highlighting the dozens of pills and narcotics inside.
“What really concerns us is that many people coming in and out of (the park) impaired,” he said. “We’re going to keep stepping on it. The task force guys said it was like shooting fish in a barrel.”
Doak said the enforcement at the park was the result of drug-related activity in and around the quarry. Throughout the years, authorities have made numerous drug-related arrests at the park, most recently in April when eight people were arrested in three days.
The weekend music festival was the Floyd/Zeppelin/Classic Fest, but Doak isn’t sure the people attending are there only for the music.
“The drugs are out of control up there,” Doak said. “It’s like a flea market, and I’m not going to ignore it.”
Record-Courier staff writer
Eight people were arraigned Monday in Portage County Municipal Court on charges of possessing and trafficking drugs at Nelson Ledges Quarry Park during the weekend.
On Friday evening, undercover officers from the Portage County Drug Task Force entered the park with $800 in cash and were approached by several people soliciting drugs. In less than an hour, five people were arrested, according to Portage County Sheriff David Doak.
Cedric Smith, 19, and Bradley Szuber, 20, both of Lima, were arrested and each charged with trafficking in marijuana, a fifth-degree felony. Their bonds were set at 10 percent of $25,000.
Perry Blankenship, 47, of Paw Paw, Mich., was charged with trafficking in psilocybin mushrooms, a fifth-degree felony, after he was discovered with a large amount of the hallucinogen. His bond also was set at 10 percent of $25,000.
Nicholas Melnik, 28, of Lowelville and Case Walters, 20, of Cleveland also were charged with trafficking in psilocybin mushrooms, a fifth-degree felony. Bond for each was set at 10 percent of $15,000.
On Saturday, the sheriff’s office received a report from the park’s security of further drug activity.
When two deputies responded, they arrested three more people.
Alex Morrow, 25, of Greensburg, Ind., was arrested and charged with trafficking drugs, a second-degree felony. His bond was set at 10 percent of $25,000.
Thomas McCusker, 21, of 3689 Beck Road, Mantua, was charged with fifth-degree felony trafficking in cocaine. His bond was set at 10 percent of $75,000.
Frances Blair, 21, of Cleveland, was charged with second-degree felony possession of psilocybin mushrooms. Her bond was also set at 10 percent of $75,000.
Saturday’s bust netted $9,000, Doak said.
Doak said he expects more charges to be filed.
Just near the evidence lockers at the Portage County Sheriff’s Office, Doak held up evidence bags from the weekend’s arrests highlighting the dozens of pills and narcotics inside.
“What really concerns us is that many people coming in and out of (the park) impaired,” he said. “We’re going to keep stepping on it. The task force guys said it was like shooting fish in a barrel.”
Doak said the enforcement at the park was the result of drug-related activity in and around the quarry. Throughout the years, authorities have made numerous drug-related arrests at the park, most recently in April when eight people were arrested in three days.
The weekend music festival was the Floyd/Zeppelin/Classic Fest, but Doak isn’t sure the people attending are there only for the music.
“The drugs are out of control up there,” Doak said. “It’s like a flea market, and I’m not going to ignore it.”
