Saturday, March 11, 2000
Police: Crack cut to trickle
10 arrested, 4 sought in Lebanon area
BY SHEILA McLAUGHLIN
The Cincinnati Enquirer
LEBANON — Police think they nearly shut down the crack cocaine pipeline in the Lebanon area after an eight-month multiagency investigation resulted in 30 charges against 14 people.
“I really think we've probably gotten 80 to 90 percent of the crack dealers in Lebanon. I'd like to think there are not too many more out there,” said John Burke, head of the Warren County Drug Task Force.
Working together with up to 15 officers, the task force, Lebanon police, Warren County Sheriff's Office and the Ohio Bureau of Criminal Identification and Investigation made a series of undercover crack cocaine buys since July.
On Monday, a Warren County grand jury handed up sealed indictments on 14 people from Lebanon and the suburbs of Dayton.
The names of 13 suspects were released Friday after police arrested 10 of them and decided they needed the public's help to find three others. Authorities would not release the name of the last man, saying his arrest was imminent.
Mr. Burke said the suspects were dealing crack from their residences, apartment complexes, and even the parking lot of Lebanon High School. Many of the suspects knew one another but did not work together as a ring.
“They were just strictly people making money. It was "buy your dope and get out of here,'” Mr. Burke said.
Police haven't tallied the amount of crack cocaine seized during the investigation, but most of it came from the Day ton area, he said.
The weeklong roundup of suspects brought an added bonus for police: $48,000 in cash, three pounds of marijuana and five cars.
Several of the suspects were arraigned Friday afternoon in Warren County Common Pleas Court and were held or released on various bonds.
Those arrested are:
• Teresa Morsie, North East Street, Lebanon, four counts of felony trafficking in cocaine.
• Thomas Stevens, North East Street, Lebanon, one felony count of trafficking in cocaine.
• Clifford Procter, Randy Scott Drive, West Carrollton, two felony counts of trafficking in cocaine.
• Eric Driscoll, no address available, one felony count of trafficking in cocaine.
• Angela Driscoll, no address available, one felony count of trafficking in cocaine.
• Anthony Scott, La Luz Boulevard, Lebanon, three counts of felony trafficking in cocaine.
• Michael Procter, address unknown, one felony count of trafficking in cocaine.
• Douglas Johnson, Cook Road, Lebanon, one felony count of trafficking in cocaine.
• Andre Strickland, Celestine Street, Huber Heights, one felony count of trafficking in cocaine and one misdemeanor charge of permitting drug abuse.
• Carol Scott, La Luz Boulevard, Lebanon, one felony count of trafficking in cocaine and one misdemeanor charge of permitting drug abuse.
Police are still seeking:
• Jason Reid, 19, Norman Drive, Dayton, one felony count of trafficking in cocaine and a misdemeanor charge of permitting drug abuse.
• Joseph Sheppheard, 19, Bluecrest Avenue, Dayton, single felony charges each of trafficking in cocaine and trafficking in a counterfeit controlled substance.
• Cecelia Payne, 39, Columbus Avenue, Lebanon, two felony counts of trafficking in cocaine.
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