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Bust heralds crackdown
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A small army of law enforcement officers converged on an
Ashtabula home early Friday and came away with an impressive haul of
firearms, zip guns, drugs, ammunition and two arrests.
Charges were filed Friday by the Ashtabula City Solicitor's Office against
Greg McFarland, 30, and Carrie Varner, 21, both of 106 W. 58th St.
Varner was arraigned on a charge of possession of methamphetamine, at the
first-degree felony level. She was being held on a $75,000 cash or
surety bond pending a bond investigation ordered by Ashtabula Municipal
Court Judge Albert Camplese. She will be represented by an attorney
from the Public Defender's Office.
McFarland was charged with possession of methamphetamine, a second-degree
felony. He also faces two fifth-degree felonies: possession of weapons
under disability and possession of a dangerous ordnance: a zip gun, defined
as a crude, homemade pistol. He was being held on a $100,000 cash or
surety bond, pending a bond investigation. He is represented by
attorney Sam Altier.
Both will appear for preliminary hearings within five to 10 days. A
court spokesman said the drug charges for both suspects were heightened by
the proximity of children to the crime.
McFarland is also under indictment and awaiting trial on one count of
assembly of chemicals used in the manufacture of illegal drugs.
McFarland is accused of holding the chemicals used in the manufacture of
methamphetamine on July 10 in Kingsville Township.
According to Ashtabula County Sheriff William Johnson, a search warrant was
executed at the couple's home at 4 a.m. Friday by the TAG (Trumbull,
Ashtabula, Geauga) Law Enforcement Task Force.
Assisting were the Ashtabula Police Department, Ashtabula County Sheriff's
Office, Bureau of Criminal Identification & Investigation and Ashtabula
County SWAT team.
The search warrant culminated a six-month investigation into methamphetamine
trafficking in and around Ashtabula County.
Besides the arrests, authorities said the search warrant resulted in the
seizure of processed methamphetamine, numerous firearms, money, a zip gun,
ammunition, drug paraphernalia, a cell phone, police scanners, assorted
prescription drugs, a safe, digital scales and videotapes.
According to a TAG news release, methamphetamine is a powerful, highly
addictive drug that over the last year has had a dramatic impact on
Ashtabula County. "Law enforcement is poised to address this drug
problem with the assistance of other government agencies and the public,"
the release said.
The TAG task force is asking anyone with knowledge of methamphetamine
producers, traffickers or users to contact the task force office at (877)
835-4375.
More information on a collaborative approach to this problem can be found on
the task force Web site, at www.tagohio.com.
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