SPRINGBORO — About a third of the night shift at Midwest Seafood was handling more than fish, authorities said Thursday.

        Five workers at the fresh seafood wholesaler were arrested on charges of on-the-job drug dealing in an undercover sting initiated by company owners. Police also were seeking two ex-employees.

        Indictments accusing the seven men of trafficking in marijuana, LSD and the prescription diet pill Didrex were unsealed Wednesday evening.

        “We had some ideas employees were using or abusing drugs while on the premises. It was the supervisors' observations,” said Lauren Easton-Enz, chief operations officer of the family business that employs 100 people — about 15 of them on second shift.

        “This is just our pursuit for a zero-tolerance policy for drugs. We're trying to make a stand.”

        National statistics show that two in five workers have used an illegal drug while on the job. According to the American Council for Drug Education, one in three workers knows of on-the-job drug sales.

        Midwest officials called in a private security company, PLE Group Inc., two months ago to determine whether there was a drug problem at the Victory Drive business and to what extent, Mrs. Easton-Enz said.

        The Warren County Drug Task Force and Springboro police then secured indictments from a Warren County grand jury on June 8.

        Those arrested on felony trafficking charges were Kelly Lawson, 24, of Franklin and Middletown residents Tommy Phillabaum, 31, Jonathan McKinney, 18, Mark Puckett, 21, and Jon Childers, 34.

        The five were jailed; bail was to be set at arraignment today in Common Pleas Court.

        Still wanted on charges are David Campbell, 19, of Carlisle and Jimmy Curfman, 37, of Middletown.

        John Burke, commander of the drug task force, said an undercover officer purchased drugs from all seven men.

        “We're not talking about huge quantities,” he said. “Most of them were a couple of buys (apiece), and the purchases were made on the property.”

        The five men arrested in Wednesday's roundup were fired immediately, Mrs. Easton-Enz said.

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