26 Years Serving North Central Ohio Communities

METRICH honors retirees

Regional

Tom Blunk of the Hancock County Sher-

iff’s Office and Knox County Sheriff Da-

vid Barber, who served for 20 years as

sheriff.

During the luncheon meeting, the

Rev. Dan Gates, a recovery specialist

from Reformation Unanimous in Shelby,

spoke about the impact the task force and

local law enforcement have had in

changing the lives of people addicted to

drugs.

Three local people told their personal

stories of their troubles with the law, in-

cluding a 24-yearold local woman who is

a recovering heroin addict who found

God and was able to get treatment in part

thanks to the assistance she received

from Mansfield police Lt. Ken Coontz,

head of METRICH.

Mansfield police Chief Dino Sgam-

bellone said METRICH officials wanted

to show people METRICH is not just

about enforcement.

“We work with our community part-

ners to get people help when we can,”

Sgambellone said. “This is our 26th

year, and I still think the task force

serves as the best model for collabora-

tion.

“I’m proud to be part of the task force

that has earned a great reputation

throughout our 10 counties for the quali-

ty of service we provide to our citizens,”

Sgambellone said.

Originally published in the News Journal

on November 1, 2012.

Crawford County Sheriff Ron

Shawber was among three retiring

METRICH drug enforcement task

force members honored Wednesday

during the agency’s annual meeting at

the Holiday Inn.

Shawber served 32 years as sheriff,

but worked for the department for 43

years. He will retire at the end of the

year.

“I started there as a road dog and I

had no intentions of ending up where I

did,” he said.

Upon receiving the honor, Shawber

said he is a “country cow-town sheriff”

and was dealing with big city folks

when METRICH formed.

“Sometimes our definitions were a

little different until we got together.

We always stepped back and looked at

it and Phil (former Mansfield police

Chief Messer) and people over here

(were) willing to listen,” Shawber said.

“Sometimes we made them come to

Crawford County to listen. We’d sit

down and discuss it. We always came

to a good understanding.”

Shawber said the 10-county MET-

RICH task force developed into what it

is now because of the collaboration of

all involved.

“Each county has their own repre-

sentative which METRICH deals with

and pulls us all together. We aren’t

only the largest task force, we’re the

most successful,” he said.

Also honored were retiring Sgt.

METRICH Enforcement Unit

Information

Bulletin

4th Qtr 12, No. 12-12

December 2012

‘Search yields 200 pot plants, 2 arrests Marion County

2

Two arrested after search Hancock County

2

Man, 62, faces heroin charge Seneca County

2

$700K in pot seized in city Richland County

3

Downtown drug bust leads to arrest Seneca County

3

Tiffin man arrested on drug charges Seneca County

4

200 arrested in multi-agency effort Seneca County

4

2012 Annual Stats Regional

5

Inside this issue:

METRICH Central Office

30 N. Diamond Street

Mansfield, Ohio 44902

counts of trafficking drugs.

Police report they found 200

marijuana plants and cultivating

equipment during the search, as

well as heroin, drug paraphernalia

and a large amount of prescription

narcotics.

Officers with the MARMET-

METRICH Drug Task Force,

Marion City Police, Marion

County Sheriff's Office and the

sheriff's counter assault team partic-

ipated in the search.

Charges will be filed with the

Marion County Prosecutor's Office.

Originally published in the Marion

Star on October 19, 2012

Two men were arrested fol-

lowing a search at 3 p.m.

Wednesday at 567 Lexington

Ave., Marion Township.

Dustin Levi Britton, 31, was

arrested on a charge of permitting

drug abuse and two counts of traf-

ficking drugs, both fifth-degree

felonies. Ronald Dean Jackson

Jr., 28, was arrested on two

Search yields 200 pot plants, 2 arrests

Marion County

METRICH Enforcement Unit 4th Qtr 12, No. 12-12 Page 2

A Findlay woman and Toledo

man were arrested Thursday on

charges of possessing $12,000 in

cocaine and marijuana in a

Findlay residence.

Jessica M. Sierra, 29, of

Findlay, and Juan J. Rivera, 32, of

Toledo, were arrested after a

search at 5:11 a.m. of 208 Madi-

son Ave. revealed a large amount

of drugs, paraphernalia and mon-

ey in the home, according to the

Hancock County METRICH En-

forcement Unit.

Both were charged with a first-

degree felony charge of cocaine

possession, third-degree felony

charge of marijuana possession

and fourth-degree felony charge

of cocaine trafficking. They are

incarcerated in the Hancock

County jail.

A METRICH official did not

return a call seeking comment or

specify the size of the seizure.

Ohio revised code states that a

first-degree felony of cocaine pos-

session is in excess of 27 grams.

Possessing at least a kilogram of

marijuana constitutes a third-degree

felony, according to state law.

METRICH worked with the

Findlay Police Department's Emer-

gency Response Team on the

search.

Originally published in the Courier

on October 12, 2012.

Two arrested after search

Hancock County

the fifth-degree felony charge.

Additional charges of trafficking

in heroin are pending on the con-

clusion of the entire drug investi-

gation.

"Our investigations are leading

us to the sources who are distrib-

uting heroin in the city of Tiffin

which also has a direct correlation

with other violent crimes in the

community," said METRICH Unit

Coordinator Chuck Boyer in the

release.

According to the release, troop-

ers from the State Highway Patrol

assisted METRICH with Allison's

arrest.

Originally published in the Adver-

tiser Tribune on November 16,

2012.

A 62-year-old Tiffin resident

was arrested and charged with

trafficking in heroin following a

traffic stop Thursday on North SR

53.

According to a release from

the Seneca County Drug Task

Force-METRICH Enforcement

Unit, Robert J. Allison is being

held at the Seneca County jail on

Man, 62, faces heroin charge

Seneca County

4th Qtr 12, No. 12-12 METRICH Enforcement Unit Page 3

controlled delivery of 20 pounds

of marijuana to 354 Wayne St.

Dawes was arrested there,

leading to a search warrant for his

home, as well as Perry’s resi-

dence.

METRICH reported confiscat-

ing about 276 pounds of marijua-

na from Dawes’ residence and

about 170 pounds of marijuana

and $50,000 in cash from Perry’s

place.

“This is the largest seizure that

we’ve had for quite a while,”

Coontz said. “It’s very significant.

You don’t normally see that

amount coming through here.

They were just inundating the

community.” Mansfield police

Chief Dino Sgambellone said the

seizure will have an immediate

impact.

“This was an outstanding in-

vestigative effort by the MET-

RICH task force to intercept what

we believe to be diverted medical

marijuana,” he said.

METRICH detectives also ar-

rested Perry on June 18 during an-

other controlled delivery of approx-

imately 20 pounds of marijuana at a

Hedges Street address.

Coontz said Perry and Dawes

are from Jamaica and have been in

Mansfield for the last two or three

years.

“I don’t even know if they’re

U.S. citizens,” Coontz said.

Other agencies involved were

U.S. Postal Inspectors, the city po-

lice department, Ohio Highway Pa-

trol and the Ashland Police Depart-

ment.

Originally published in the News

Journal on November 21, 2012.

The $700,000 worth of mariju-

ana seized Monday by the MET-

RICH Enforcement Unit was

meant to be used for medicinal

purposes in California.

“Several months ago, we be-

gan an investigation involving the

trafficking of large amounts of

marijuana from California to

Mansfield,” METRICH Com-

mander Lt. Ken Coontz said.

“California is a medical marijuana

state. Some of that is being divert-

ed to our community.”

Two people were arrested in

connection with the raid. Layton

O. Dawes, 33, of 806 Greenfield

Drive, was charged with two

counts of aggravated possession

of marijuana.

Ronnie Perry, 36, of 804

Greenfield Drive, was charged

with one count of aggravated pos-

session of marijuana.

Coontz said the marijuana was

being shipped through commer-

cial mail carriers. Prior to Mon-

day’s raid, METRICH made a

$700K in pot seized in city

Richland County

Downtown drug bust leads to arrest

Seneca County

A Fremont man was arrested

and charged with trafficking in

cocaine after an undercover drug

operation in Tiffin Thursday af-

ternoon.

James R. Bell, 35, was arrested

and charged with the fourth-

degree felony charge after law

enforcement confiscated cocaine

and money during an operation in

an alley in the 200 block of North

Washington Street, according to a

release from the Seneca County

Drug Task Force

METRICH Enforcement Unit.

Bell had been out on bond

from an arrest in January in which

he also was charged with traffick-

ing in cocaine. According to the

release, METRICH arrested him

in January during an undercover

drug operation on South Wash-

ington Street.

"Mr. Bell might be a Fremont

resident, but he does have a prior

history of being in the city of Tif-

fin and being involved in drugs. His

actions obviously indicate he didn't

learn anything from the last time we

apprehended him," said METRICH

coordinator Det. Chuck Boyer in

the release.

Additional charges of possession

of drug paraphernalia stemming

from Thursday’s operation are

pending for Bell, who is being held

at the Seneca County jail.

Originally published in the Adver-

tiser Tribune on October 12, 2012.

Over 500 pounds of marijuana and $50,000 in cash were seized .

METRICH Enforcement Unit 4th Qtr 12, No. 12-12 Page 4

Tiffin man arrested on drug charges

Seneca County

A Tiffin man was arrested

Wednesday after law enforcement

conducted an undercover sting

operation that unveiled drugs, sto-

len guns and other stolen proper-

ty.

Jimmy D. Halcomb, 27, who is

believed to be linked to numerous

burglaries, break-ins and rob-

beries throughout Tiffin and Sen-

eca County, was arrested and

charged with retaining stolen

property after an arrest warrant

and a search warrant were execut-

ed at a 100-block North Washing-

ton Street residence, according to

a release from the Seneca County

Drug Task Force METRICH En-

forcement Unit.

Numerous stolen firearms, pre-

scription drugs, marijuana, drug

paraphernalia, money, criminal

tools and stolen property suspect-

ed to be involved in break-ins and

burglaries throughout Tiffin and

Seneca County were found, the

release states.

Halcomb also faces additional

charges of trafficking of marijua-

na, breaking and entering, dispos-

ing/retaining stolen property, ille-

gal possession of prescription

drugs and having weapons under

disability pending the ongoing

investigation.

Halcomb appeared in Tiffin

Municipal Court Thursday where

his bond was set at $100,000, ac-

cording to court documents. He is

scheduled to appear again in court

Nov. 16.

"The extensive investigative

work by everyone involved in this

investigation and everyone's imme-

diate response to apprehending this

habitual criminal was instrumental

to the success of this operation. I

feel our community is a little safer

this evening knowing that this indi-

vidual is presently behind bars,"

said Tiffin Police Chief Fred Ste-

vens in the release.

Originally published in the Adver-

tiser Tribune on November 9, 2012.

200 arrested in multi -agency effort

Seneca County

More than 200 people were

arrested last week following a

multi-agency enforcement effort

that targeted high crime, OVI

and traffic problem areas

throughout Sandusky and Sene-

ca counties.

According to a release from

the State Highway Patrol, the

enforcement saturation patrol

netted 539 traffic stops and 210

arrests. Officers initiated 25 cas-

es, including 13 felony cases,

and arrested 13 impaired driv-

ers.

The Sandusky County Sher-

iff's Office, the Seneca County

Drug Task Force METRICH

Enforcement Unit and local in-

vestigators also served 20 high-

profile felony warrants and five

wanted felons were arrested dur-

ing traffic stops.

METRICH Unit Coordinator

Chuck Boyer said 12 of the war-

rants were served in Seneca

County Thursday. The warrants

had stemmed from a year of

drug-related investigations in-

volving crack cocaine, cocaine

and prescription pills.

Boyer said Monday night

some felons still remained at

large.

According to the release,

seized illegal narcotics and drug

paraphernalia during the two-

day detail included five illegal

oxycodone prescription pills,

two illegal Xanax prescription

pills, 593 grams of marijuana,

30.5 grams of crack cocaine, 1.5

grams of cocaine, two guns,

$6,849 in drug money and one

vehicle.

"Successful multi-agency en-

forcement efforts, like the one in

Sandusky and Seneca counties,

illustrate the collective power of

removing drugs and wanted felons

from our communities," said Col.

John Born, patrol superintendent,

in the release.

Boyer agreed.

"It was a collaboration of eve-

ry agency and that made it suc-

cessful," he said.

Originally published in the Adver-

tiser Tribune on October 30,2012.

METRICH Enforcement Unit 4th Qtr 12, No. 12-12 Page 5

2012 REGIONAL STATISTICS

METRICH Enforcement Unit 4th Qtr 12, No. 12-12 Page 6

26 Years Serving North Central Ohio Communities

Ashland County

Lt. Joel Icenhour, Access Officer (419) 289-3639

Crawford County

Sgt Chris Heydinger, Access Officer (419) 562-7906

Hancock County

Sgt. Jason Seem, Access Officer (419) 424-7887

Huron County

Sgt. Seth Fry, Access Officer (419) 663-8960

Knox County

Lt Gary Rohler, Access Officer (740) 397-3333

Marion County

Maj. Bill Collins, Access Officer (740) 387-2222

Morrow County

Dep John Hinton, Access Officer (419) 946-4444

Richland County

Lt Ken Coontz, Access Officer (419) 755-9726

Seneca County

Det Chuck Boyer, Access Officer (419) 447-2323

Wyandot County

Sgt. Kerwin Wiseley, Access Officer (419) 294-2362

Points of Contact

METRICH (Metro-Richland County) Enforcement Unit is a ten

county law enforcement task force created to address multi-

jurisdictional violators of Ohio’s drug, weapons, and organized

crime statutes. The project operates with a basic “Community

Policing Philosophy” using a “Weed and Seed Strategy “ from

ten “de-centralized” offices.

Participating agencies: Ashland, Crawford, Hancock, Huron,

Knox, Marion, Morrow, Richland, Seneca, Wyandot County

Sheriff’s Offices and Prosecutors Offices; Ashland, Loudonville,

Bucyrus, Crestline, Galion, Findlay, Bellevue, Greenwich, Mon-

roeville, New London, Norwalk, Plymouth, Wakeman, Willard,

Mt. Vernon, Marion, Mt. Gilead, Lexington, Mansfield, Ontario,

Shelby, Fostoria, Tiffin, Carey, Upper Sandusky Police Depart-

ments; Ohio State Highway Patrol; Ohio Department of Public

Safety; BCI&I, Ohio State Board of Pharmacy; U.S Department

of Housing & Urban Development; FBI; ATF; DEA; IRS.

METRICH Central Office

30 N. Diamond St

Mansfield, Ohio 44902

Phone: 419-755-9728

Fax: 419-522-7546

FBI

S/A Brad Hoffert (419) 525-2200

IRS-CID

SAC Rowland Cresswell (419) 259-7440 S/A Jeffrey M. Paul (330) 375-5514

DEA

A/RAC Gene Corley (216) 274-3600

ATF

Lance Kimmell, Group Supervisor (216) 522-8100

Ohio BCI&I

S/A Mike Masterson, Investigations (419) 353-5603

S/A Fred Moore, Investigations (740) 845-2000

Chrissie Ross, Analyst (330) 884-7510

Ohio Investigative Unit

AAIC Greg Croft, Marion (614) 644-2413

AIC Rita Raimer, Akron (330) 644-0318

AIC Ray Rodriguez, Toledo (419) 866-9907

METRICH Information Bulletin P.O.C.: Joan Hoffert, 30 N. Diamond St., Mansfield, Ohio 44902 (419) 755-9728

Project Director, Chief Dino Sgambellone

Phone: (419) 755-9753

Email: dsgambellone@metrich.com