Tue, Nov 24 2009
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DRUG SWEEP SUSPECTS APPEAR IN COURT Eight Ashtabula residents arrested on wide range of drug-related charges, including trafficking in heroin By MARK TODD - Staff Writer - mtodd@starbeacon.comStar Beacon 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. 
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