Officials unveil new drug task force

JEFFERSON — Ashtabula County law enforcement officials Wednesday unveiled the specifics of a new county-centric drug task force that has replaced the Trumbull Ashtabula Group Task Force.

Officials announced several weeks ago that TAG would be no more — the county’s contract with TAG officially expires Sunday — but had not released details until Wednesday.

Ashtabula County has created a multi-jurisdictional county-wide drug enforcement task force, similar to TAG but covering Ashtabula County only. The Ashtabula, Conneaut and Geneva police departments, along with the Sheriff’s Office, Federal Bureau of Investigation, Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms and Drug Enforcement Administration will all collaborate, county Prosecutor Nicholas Iarocci said.

Just like TAG, the new Crime Enforcement Agency of Ashtabula County, CEACC — which officials are referring to as Cease — will focus on investigations into drug crimes, gangs, firearms, drug traffickers and homeland security issues.

TAG was organized in 2003 and initially included members of the Ashtabula, Trumbull and Geauga sheriff’s offices. In 2008, Geauga County left TAG, and Trumbull and Ashtabula County continued operations. 

“When it became known that TAG was going to be disbanding, key players in Ashtabula County law enforcement began collaborating on the formation of a county-wide drug and major crimes enforcement task force,” Iarocci said.

Ashtabula County Sheriff’s Office Detective Greg Leonhard will serve as the CEACC commander, Ashtabula Police Detective Mike Polinkas will be assistant commander and Ashtabula County Sheriff’s Lt. Terry Moisio will be the project director.

At least eight officers will work directly for CEACC — four full-time and four part time. Commissioner Kathryn Whittington said two will come from the sheriff’s office, three from Ashtabula police, and one and a half each from Geneva and Conneaut police.

In addition to participation by the four local law enforcement agencies, the FBI will be an active partner with CEACC, Iarocci said.

“The FBI will work with Cease to identify and target for prosecution criminal enterprise groups responsible for drug trafficking, money laundering, alien smuggling, crimes of violence such as murder and aggravated assault, robbery and violent street gangs as well as intensely focus on the apprehension of dangerous fugitives where there is or may be an investigative federal interest,” Iarocci said.

Each agency will pay for the officers out of their own budgets, Whittington said. Beyond that, funding for CEACC will come in the form of grants.

Two grants are being sought through the Ohio Office of Criminal Justice Services and Department of Rehabilitation and Corrections. One grant would provide $80,000 per year for two years and the other would provide $60,000 for one year. The grants are currently in review status, Whittington said.

Ashtabula County will also receive about $48,000 in project income, federal forfeiture and seized funds through its separation agreement with TAG, Whittington said. The FBI will also contribute equipment and funds.

“Approximately $20,000 in assets have already been transferred to Ashtabula County,” she said.

TAG almost disbanded in 2017 over a change in leadership and mission, but Ashtabula and Trumbull county officials patched up the dispute at the time. 

Ashtabula Police Chief Robert Stell said though Ashtabula was not previously a formal member of TAG, the time has come where collaboration on this new task force is possible.

“Being the largest city in the county, we do have the largest drug problem so this is really special for us to be able to participate on this team,” Stell said. “This is something we wouldn’t have seen 12, 15 years ago with the collaboration that we’re seeing now. All the pieces were in place and all the right personalities were there to make this happen.”

Leonhard said in 2018 TAG executed more than a dozen search warrants in Ashtabula County, and under this new task force he expects that number to increase dramatically.

“People are going to feel the effects more on a weekly basis more than they’ve ever felt the effects,” Leonhard said.

Ashtabula County Sheriff William Johnson said he is excited to see the collaboration, and he said the county learned a lot through TAG, which he called a “great organization.”

“It’s exciting to know the commitments everyone has made to fight the drug scourge in this particular county,” Johnson said.

In 2018, more than 40 people died from overdose deaths and this year there have been 12 overdose deaths, with about six additional cases still pending lab results, according to the coroner’s office.

“If you’re a drug dealer, whether you’re a buyer, seller or distributor, be aware because we’re going to be on your shoulders now,” Johnson said.