NEWS

Eight arrested in Loudonville drug sweep

Staff report

LOUDONVILLE - Area law enforcement agencies executed five search warrants in Loudonville Wednesday, arresting eight people on drug-related indictments and confiscating drugs, firearms and money.

The drug sweep was the culmination of a five-month drug operation conducted by Loudonville Police, the Ashland County Sheriff’s Office, Ashland Police Department, Ashland and Mansfield police department special response teams and the Metrich Drug Task Force, Loudonville Police Chief Kevin Taylor posted on Facebook.

Loudonville Police Department, along with other area law enforcement agencies, confiscated drugs, firearms and money and arrested eight people during a drug sweep Wednesday.

At 6 a.m. Wednesday, officers executed five search warrants on properties within the Village of Loudonville. A total of eight defendants were arrested on felony indictments from the Ashland County Grand Jury.

Officers found and confiscated marijuana, heroin, cocaine, prescription medication, drug paraphernalia, firearms and money. A marijuana grow operation was located inside one of the residences.

In his post, Taylor thanked Loudonville police detectives Jim Coey and Gary Hannan, Ashland police detective Brian Evans, and Ashland County Sheriff's detective Dave Rohn for their dedication and hundreds of man hours involved in the operation as well as area residents who provided drug tips.

Below is a list of the defendants currently incarcerated at the Ashland County Jail following the sweep. Additional charges will be forthcoming as a result of the search warrants.

  • Richard Searls, 3 counts of drug trafficking in marijuana.
  • Brian Searls, 1 count of permitting drug abuse.
  • Kimberly Bayer, 2 counts of trafficking in heroin, 2 counts of trafficking in Oxycodone.
  • Jonathan Reddix, 2 counts of trafficking in marijuana, 1 count of possession of drug paraphernalia.
  • Daren Bush, 1 count of trafficking in marijuana, 1 count of trafficking in MDMA, 1 count of trafficking in methamphetamine. 
  • Kyle Glasener, 1 count of complicity to trafficking heroin, 1 count of possession of heroin, 2 counts of trafficking in heroin.
  • Savannah Slater, 1 count of trafficking in heroin, 1 count of possession of heroin, 1 count of complicity to trafficking in heroin.
  • William James Eitzen, 5 counts of trafficking in marijuana.