DRUG SWEEP SUSPECTS APPEAR IN COURT

By MARK TODD - Staff Writer - mtodd@starbeacon.com
Star Beacon

January 31, 2009 12:43 am

— ASHTABULA — Eight Ashtabula residents arrested Thursday on a wide range of drug-related charges, including trafficking in heroin, were arraigned Friday afternoon in Ashtabula Municipal Court.
At least three other suspects are being sought, and additional arrests are pending, said Ashtabula County Sheriff William Johnson.
The defendants who appeared in court Friday include a father and son, a mother and two of her sons, and a boyfriend-girlfriend duo, sources said
Depending on the charge, defendants are looking at sizable prison sentences and fines, said Judge Albert Camplese.
The defendants were “deeply involved in a long-standing well-organized enterprise to sell a massive quantity of heroin (in the area),” said Ashtabula City Solicitor Michael Franklin.
Defendants arraigned Friday were:
Felipe Ayala, 39, 2805 Lake Ave. (trafficking in heroin, trafficking, possession of heroin);
Felipe Ayala Morell, 20, 1125 Michigan Ave. (trafficking in heroin);
Jose Perez, 30, 1125 Michigan Ave., No. 2 (trafficking in heroin);
Vanessa Hurtado, 34, 518 W. 29th St. (trafficking in heroin, four counts of trafficking, two counts of possession of criminal tools, two misdemeanor counts of possession of drug paraphernalia;
Miriam Russi Diaz, 49, 3118 Johnson Court (trafficking in heroin, trafficking, possession of drugs, possession of criminal tools);
Denis Cruz Russi, 21, 518 W. 29th St. (trafficking in heroin);
Juan C. Cruz Russi, 28, 3118 Johnson Court (trafficking in heroin, possession of cocaine); and
Gilberto Torres, 29, 5012 Kain Ave. (trafficking in heroin, possession of heroin, receiving stolen property, possession of criminal tools).
A translator helped some of the defendants communicate with Camplese.
Some the trafficking charges carry heftier penalties. The severity of the felony is generally based on the number of transactions or the quantity of drug sold, Johnson said.
Probation officials were to be consulted before bond was set on each defendant, Camplese said.
Perez and Morell were represented by attorney Joseph Morse.
The other defendants either said they would need a public defender or requested time to find legal counsel. Preliminary hearings on the felony charges will be scheduled in early February.
The arrests followed an eight-month investigation, dubbed Operation Blackout, that used undercover operatives. The probe was led by sheriffs’ detectives assigned to the Trumbull-Ashtabula group law-enforcement task force. State and federal agencies also assisted.
“This complex investigation would not have been possible without the collaboration of the participating agencies,” according to a statement issued by the sheriff’s department.
In Thursday’s subfreezing weather, teams of law-enforcement personnel served seven search warrants at five homes and two businesses, according to the statement. After arrests were made, officers searched each of the buildings. Combined, they located dozens of “bindles,” or packets, of heroin; nearly $10,000 in cash; police scanners; guns; ammunition; and drug paraphernalia, including syringes and digital scales.
Also seized were flat-screen televisions, digital cameras, vehicles and a 2004 Harley-Davidson motorcycle.
Deputies and agents also recovered stolen numerous items believed stolen from the Lowe’s Home Center in Ashtabula Township, according to the statement.
The investigation is far from over, Johnson said. In the days ahead, officers expect to unravel several theft cases, which will lead to additional arrests.
Heroin has become more prevalent in the area in recent years, and Thursday’s arrests should put a big dent in the trade, Johnson said.
“The heroin problem (in the county) is comparable to what we experienced several years ago with methamphetamine and is growing,” the statement said.
The sweep will have residual benefits, too; heroin addicts often commit property crimes to finance their habit, Johnson said.
“It will stop a lot of the distribution,” he said. “(The operation) will reap some big benefits. People will be a lot safer.”
More important, the arrests will help stem the flow of a drug that already has taken a terrible toll on local families.
“It is destroying a lot of families,” Johnson said.

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