Several months of investigation into a marijuana trafficking operation culminated in a search and seizure operation Friday morning.
Officers assigned to the Bellefontaine Police Department Special Response Teams served a search warrant at 556 E. Chillicothe Ave. at 7:45 a.m. and seized a large amount cash, six rifles, THC vaping cartridges, THC edibles, marijuana, digital weight scales, marijuana paraphernalia and packaging materials.
Austin Stewart, 18, was taken into custody on a felony counts of possession of drugs, trafficking in drugs and tampering with evidence. More charge are possible, Chief Brandon Standley reports.
Stewart, who is now lodged in the Logan County Jail, was one of three people in the residence when the raid took place.
The chief noted the search warrant targeted an illicit enterprise.
Drug traffickers regardless of the product they market destroy families and neighborhoods, he said.
“Today demonstrates that we will not stop until we eradicated each trafficker in our city,” Standley said. “I am grateful for the hard work and dedication by my staff to remain focused on investigations that can sometimes take months.
“Our community deserves to feel safe and know that we’re doing our best to enforce all applicable laws when trafficker feel they can take advantage of those how are addicted.
They become dangerous and the root of major problems the longer they are allowed to remain in the drug business.”
Officers were assisted by the Bellefontaine Fire and EMS Department and the Logan County Prosecutor’s Office.