The Morning Journal (Lorain, OH)
STING ADDS 17 ARRESTS
Operation Exodus arrest total up to 48
Authorities have arrested 17 more people in connection with the Elyria Police Department’s operation targeting an organized drug gang in Lorain County, said Capt. Christopher Costantino.
Earlier this month, the Elyria’s Narcotics Unit, in conjunction with the multiple local and state law enforcement agencies, executed 19 search warrants and multiple arrest warrants in Elyria and Lorain during what they called Operation Exodus. Sgt. James Welsh, who headed up the investigation, said the warrants were executed Oct. 3 and resulted in 31 original arrests.
In addition to the 31 arrests, the search warrants resulted in Detectives began working on the case in July after research showed that 125 overdoses had occurred in the city in 2016 alone, welsh said.
the seizure of about 1,300 grams of illegal street drugs, three handguns, two shotguns, $40,068 in U.S. currency, the residence at 238 Harvard Ave. in Elyria and four vehicles, according to a release distributed Oct. 6.
As of Oct. 17, Operation Exodus has netted 48 arrests, which is targeting a drug gang known as “Money Over Every Thing” or “M.O.E.T.”
Welsh said the additional arrests were made between Oct. 12 and 13 and a total of 88 arrests are expected once the investigation is complete. Detectives began working on the case in July after research showed that 125 overdoses had occurred in the city in 2016 alone, Welsh said.
Of those overdoses, about 20 to 25 were fatal, which meant that about a quarter of the people using and overdosing were dying, he said.
Through analyzing the data, officers began to notice similarities in who was supplying drugs to those who were overdosing, Welsh said.
“When we do a large scale investigation like this we’re able to get a large group of individuals that have serious felony histories off the street for a more significant amount of time and that’s what we focused on doing here,” he said, noting that some of the individuals charged with engaging in a corrupt pattern of activity could face a minimum of 11 years behind bars.
Costantino said Operation Exodus is three-fold, focusing on the suppliers, the street-level dealers and those who are buying the illegal drugs. Those addicted to drugs are often involved with robberies and thefts in the city, he said.
The goal is to connect those with drug addiction issues with resources for them to get help, Costantino said. The Police Department has been working with The LCADA Way, a rehabilitation center in Lorain County, to find ways to help those battling drug addition, he said.
At the beginning of the investigation, it wasn’t clear how many people would be arrested. Welsh said he was hoping to get 50 to 75 drugrelated individuals off the street, but both Welsh and Costantino agree the investigation exceeded their expectations.
“This was a labor-intensive investigation, but the return on investment was substantial,” Costantino said.
Law enforcement agencies that assisted in the initial operation Oct. 3 included the Lorain Police Department’s Narcotics Unit and SWAT Team, the Lorain County Drug Task Force and SWAT Team, the U.S. Marshals Violent Fugitive Task Force and the FBI’s SWAT Team.
More than 100 officers were involved, Welsh said.
Corrections officers at the Lorain County Jail, the staff at the Lorain County Drug/ Crime Lab, the Ohio Attorney General’s Office and members of the community were instrumental in making the operation a success, Costantino said. There was no way the Elyria Police Department could have done it on their own, he said.
“I’d like to say this is going to end the heroin and cocaine problem in this area, but I would be naive to say that,” Costantino said.
“Even with these individuals off the streets, we continue to have overdoses, we continue to have drug-related incidents and we will continue to work hard to focus on the people who are going to take these individuals’ places.
Unfortunately, it’s a lucrative business to some and we will continue to work hard and focus on the large scale operations.”
Welsh said no suspect has yet to be charged with conspiracy in relation to the gang activity, but the Police Department plans to pursue that once the case reaches the grand jury.
Individuals who were arrested between Oct. 12 and 13 include:
• Clyde Anderson Jr., 25, of 1648 E. 33rd St. in Lorain, was charged with engaging in a pattern of corrupt activity, two counts of trafficking cocaine and conspiracy, which are all felony charges.
• Tia Bellamy, 33, of 139 Virginia Ave. in Elyria, was charged with two counts of possession of heroin and two counts of possession of cocaine, which are all fifth degree felonies.
• Daniel D. Brown, 31, of 265 Ohio St. in Elyria, was charged with two counts of possession of heroin and two counts of possession of cocaine, which are all fifthdegree felonies.
• Marquel Brown, 27, of 349 Brace Ave. in Elyria, was charged with engaging in a pattern of corrupt activity, corrupting another with drugs, manufacturing drugs and four counts of trafficking cocaine. All of the charges Brown faces are felonies.
• Peggie Frederick, 44, of 276 Cornell Ave. in Amherst, was charged with two counts of possession of cocaine, which are fifth-degree felonies. • Jennifer Harrison, 28, of 111 Mariners Circle in Sheffield Lake., was charged with two counts of possession of heroin and two counts of possession of cocaine, which are fifth-degree felonies.
• Lance Hurt, 28, of 2244 E. 31st St. in Lorain, was charged with possession of drugs, which is a fifth-degree felony.
• Kevin Hyland, 30, of 35161 Oak St. in North Ridgeville, was charged with three felony counts of possession of cocaine.
• Rodney Lane, 41, of 623 East Ave. in Elyria, was charged with two counts of possession of heroin and two counts of possession of cocaine, all fifth-degree felonies.
• Kathryn Maxwell, 36, of 8411 Broadway Ave. in Cleveland, was charged with possession of cocaine, a fifthdegree felony and possession of marijuana, a minor misdemeanor. She also was charged with driving under suspension and display of two license plates.
• Janice Norris, 64, of 612 Boston Ave. in Elyria, was charged with two felony counts of possession of cocaine.
• Jonathan Oliver, 33, of 133 Portia Court in Elyria, was charged with a single felony count of trafficking heroin.
• Allison Pope, 35, of 114 Floral Court in Elyria, was charged with two counts of possession of heroin and two counts of possession of cocaine, which are fifth-degree felonies.
• William Sinclair, 34, of 5254 Manchester St. in North Ridgeville, was charged with two counts of possession of heroin and two counts of possession of cocaine, which are fifth-degree felonies.
• Michael Smith, 41, of 1305 Lake Ave. in Elyria, was charged with two counts of possession of heroin and two counts of possession of cocaine, which are fifth-degree felonies.
• John. R. Whittemore, 55, of 205 Longfellow St. in Elyria, was charged with three counts of possession of cocaine, which are fifthdegree felonies.
• Justin Wise, 19, of 487 Arabian Court in LaGrange, was charged with three counts of possession of heroin, which are fifth-degree felonies.