By Kelly Doran
Editor

The Clermont County Sheriff’s Office recently arrested most of the 19 people the office indicted on July 2 after a long drug investigation.

After getting complaints from community action groups and citizens in the area about heroin in Felicity, the Clermont County Sheriff’s Office did a five-month long investigation, including the use of undercover officers, confidential informants and surveillance, said Chief Deputy Steve Leahy.

On July 2, the Sheriff’s Officer served 19 indictments and one felony warrant to almost exclusively Felicity residents, Leahy said. There were 45 counts issued. So far, officers have picked up 17 of the 20, plus five others that they picked up on July 2 that had warrants.

“It was a huge success,” Leahy said. He has gotten a lot of positive feedback from the community so far.

The Sheriff’s Office also served three search warrants at Felicity residences. Officers recovered drug paraphernalia, $2,900 and one vehicle. In addition, two marijuana grows and a methamphetamine lab were located, according to a press release from the Sheriff’s Office.

Clermont County Children’s Protective Services came to assist in the placement of two children found at one of the search warrant locations, according to the release.

The Sheriff’s Office is not done in the community, even thought this investigation is over. Officers will continue to run down any complaints thoroughly until the complaint is found to be ungrounded or is fixed by prosecution, Leahy said.

He hopes that this will send a message to heroin sellers and users in the county that officers are actively investigating.

“They’re not out of view. It’s not that no one is paying attention,” Leahy said.

The Sheriff’s Office is currently targeting mid to low level trafficking, which describes a someone who may be a user that goes out of the county, purchases enough heroin to use personally for a few days and to sell. That person then brings it back into the county, Leahy said.

This trafficking is a serious threat to the county, even though the sellers are not typically organized. The organized groups and cartels are in the county, although there has been some infiltration into the western part of the county, Leahy said.

Six or seven of the indictments were methamphetamine related, Leahy said. He, along with a couple other officials, are starting to see a slight resurgence of methamphetamine, but it’s too early to know if that will be a trend or not.

“Heroin is the issue right now, there’s no way around that one,” Leahy said.

Of those indicted that had a bond hearing on July 3, everyone entered a not guilty plea. They were either given a own recognizance bond, which means they can sign themselves out while the case is pending, or a cash or professional bond, which means they can pay the bond amount or have a bondsman pay 10 percent, said Jason Nagel, chief prosecuting attorney.

All were given a reporting bond, which is a condition to a bond and means they are subject to random drug screenings, Nagel said.

Those listed below were arrested on open indictments by the Sheriff’s Office.

Bobby Bowling, 55, Roy Sharp, 34, Felix Napier, 44, Deidre Conn, 40, Steven Wagers, 44, Donald Young, 24, Kevin Hughes, 55, Stephanie Davidson, 40, and James Ritchie, 67, were charged with trafficking in heroin, a fifth degree felony.

Conn, Toby Wallzs, 43, and Jessica Wallzs, 40, were charged with trafficking in heroin, a fourth degree felony.

Bowling and Young were charged with trafficking in drugs, a fifth degree felony.

Lou Ann Nunn, 41, and Conn were charged with trafficking in drugs, a third degree felony.

Wendy Baldwin, 33, Travis Wagner, 39, Connie Mathias, 32, and Norman Flora, 35, were charged with illegal assembly of chemicals, a third degree felony.

Wagner was charged with illegal manufacturing of drugs, a second degree felony.