Thursday, May 26th, 2011
Traffickers busted
Task force makes greatest amount of arrests since group formed
By Margie Wuebker
The Grand Lake Task Force arrested dozens of people Wednesday on felony drug trafficking charges - the largest roundup in the 30-year history of the group.
The grand jury handed down indictments listing 109 felony drug charges against 39 adults. Twelve adults remain at large. Twenty-three cases involve heroin, which officials know is gaining popularity because of its relatively low cost.
Mercer County Sheriff Jeff Grey said two individuals are residing in southern states and officers in those jurisdictions have been alerted.
"Traffickers don't realize that all agencies in Mercer, Auglaize and Allen counties are working together," Grey said. "While the sheriffs head task forces in their respective counties, roundups would not be successful without the dedication of police departments."
Grey as well as Auglaize County Sheriff Al Solomon and Allen County Sheriff Sam Crish warned residents last year that people dealing drugs, and especially heroin, would face consequences. Seventeen arrests were made last month in Auglaize County and more are expected in coming months.
Apprehended Wednesday on trafficking charges were:
• Doug Gilliland, 22, 626 Linden Ave., Celina, three counts involving heroin and percocet (a painkiller).
• Jessica Smith, 22, 108 N. Washington St., Mendon, two counts related to heroin.
• Casey McMillen, 27, of Van Wert, four counts all dealing with heroin.
• Stephanie Fannon, 31, of Van Wert, three counts involving heroin and marijuana.
• Tina Ebright, 45, a current inmate at the Mercer County Adult Detention Facility, one count involving heroin.
• Jordan Helmstetter, 20, a current jail inmate, one count related to heroin.
• Jessica Woods, 25, 526 Lisle St., Celina, four counts related to marijuana and heroin.
• Andrew Taylor, 25, an inmate at the Allen County Jail, one count involving more than 10 doses of heroin.
• Nathan Watkins, 18, a current Mercer County Jail inmate, four counts involving heroin and morphine.
• Kathy Houts, 36, an inmate at the Ohio Reformatory for Women in Marysville, three counts related to heroin and oxycodone.
• Sara Duval, 23, also a reformatory inmate in Marysville, one count involving heroin.
• Kelly Joe Slone, 37, an inmate at Pickaway Correctional Institutional in Orient, four counts involving heroin and counterfeit drugs.
• Brandon Bradley, 22, 909 Echo St., Celina, one count involving marijuana.
• Marie Sepulveda, 43, 110 S. Cherry St., Celina, three counts related to marijuana.
• Paul Swartz, 50, 430 S. Mill St., Celina, three counts dealing with methadone, soma (a muscle relaxer) and counterfeit controlled substances.
• Elisha Milby, 27, 1135 West Bank Road, Celina, two counts involving the painkiller vicodin and marijuana.
• Kaley McKissack, 21, 227 N. Enterprise St., Celina, two counts related to marijuana.
• Amanda McKee, 21, 425 W. Warren St., Celina, four counts related to marijuana.
• Robert Mowery, 36, 614 Lisle St., Celina, four counts involving oxycodone, marijuana and the painkiller dilaudid.
• David Gregg, 26, 911 Northview Drive, Coldwater, three counts dealing with marijuana.
• Marquell Rickets, 22, 1410 Meadowview Drive, Celina, three counts involving marijuana.
• Tammy Wurstbaugh, 29, 323 Third St., Coldwater, two counts related to marijuana.
• Wesley Elam, 18, 310 W. Fayette St., Celina, three counts related to marijuana.
• Katrina Mullholland, 36, 11900 Tomlinson Road, Mendon, one count related to morphine.
Thirteen of the drug offenses allegedly occurred in the vicinity of juveniles.
Taken into custody on other charges were:
• Ashley Farmer, 20, 112 Lake St., Celina, two counts of deception to obtain dangerous drugs.
• Cecil Bayes, 39, 215 N. Enterprise St., Celina, seven counts of deception to obtain dangerous drugs (the anxiety medication diazepam and painkillers oxycodone, hydrocodone and codeine.
• Bennie Williams, 30, an Allen County inmate, one count of having weapons under disability.
Also arrested on charges related to the roundup or on outstanding warrants were:
• John Shoe Jr., 47, of Sidney, on a warrant of illegal manufacture of drugs out of Shelby County.
• Angela M. Stein, 22, and Diana J. Gray, 63, both of 229 E. Fulton St., Celina, obstructing official business.
• Zachary R. Frazier, 20, 352 Bruns Ave., Celina, possession of drug paraphernalia.
• Krista M. Hromish, 21, 124 N. Walnut St., St. Marys, possession of drug paraphernalia.
• Joseph Honeycutt, 27, 5443 Karafit Road, Celina, outstanding warrant for passing bad checks.
• Jamie Prater, 21, 1114 Kensington Lane, Celina, failure to appear in court warrant.
Authorities also seized four vehicles used in trafficking offenses and 13 firearms. Authorities reportedly entered the bedroom of one suspect and found him sleeping with a loaded gun on a nearby nightstand.
The jail, which opened in early 2010, can hold more than 100 inmates. Nineteen women were booked into the 16-bed female section resulting in three inmates being moved to holding cells in the intake area. The current jail census stands at 70.
