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Police: Drug route stopped
Police: Drug route stopped
By MARLY KOSINSKI Tribune Chronicle
POSTED: November 17, 2009
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WARREN - An organized drug trafficking network that transports cocaine from
California to Ohio and Michigan uses Warren as one of its distribution
points, police said.
Officers from the Trumbull Ashtabula Group Law Enforcement Task Force said
they and several other police agencies found some of that cocaine during a
raid Sunday afternoon in Warren Township, which followed a raid Friday in
Warren city.
A TAG spokesman said Sunday's raid is connected to the arrest of four people
last week in Utah during which Iron County sheriff's deputies found $2
million in cocaine and a loaded gun during a traffic stop.
On Sunday afternoon, officers from TAG, Trumbull County Sheriff's Office,
Ohio State Highway Patrol, Warren Township and a K-9 unit from Fowler
executed a search warrant at 821 Seventh St. S.W. The raid followed a
one-week investigation by task force investigators and came five days after
the Utah stop, where nine pounds of cocaine were seized, according to a TAG
spokesman.
The spokesman said the cocaine distribution network involves primarily
suspects of Hispanic origin, although that was not the case in the Utah
bust.
"This distribution network is responsible for bringing cocaine into many
northern Ohio communities, including Warren and Youngstown," the spokesman
said.
During Sunday's raid, police seized more than a pound of cocaine, a loaded
Smith & Wesson handgun, a digital scale, a cell phone, $10,513 in cash and
four prescription bottles with unknown pills.
Arrested on charges of felony drug trafficking and having weapons under
disability because of a previous felony conviction was Michael Salsgiver,
37, who resides at the Seventh Street home. He pleaded not guilty Monday
at his arraignment and posted a $100,000 bond. He is due back in Warren
Municipal Court on Nov. 24 for a preliminary hearing, according to court
records.
Also arrested on a felony charge of drug trafficking was Rogelio
Dominguez-Rojas, 24, a resident of Mexico who police said is in the
United States illegally. He remains at the Trumbull County Jail on a
$100,000 bond, and the Immigration and Customs Enforcement Agency has been
contacted, the spokesman said.
More charges against both men may be filed later, according to the TAG
spokesman.
Sunday's raid followed one on Friday afternoon when officers from TAG, the
Sheriff's Office and Highway Patrol executed a search warrant at 249
Douglas St. N.W. following a one-month investigation into cocaine
trafficking throughout Trumbull County. The TAG spokesman said Friday's raid
also may be connected to the California drug network.
Arrested on charges of felony drug trafficking and having weapons under
disability was Leonard Rounds, 33, who police said owns the home. He
posted a $100,000 bond following his arraignment Monday in Warren Municipal
Court, where he is due back Nov. 24 for a preliminary hearing, according to
court records.
Police said Rounds has a history of drug trafficking and has served
time in prison.
During Friday's raid, police seized 15 ounces of cocaine with an approximate
street value of $30,000, digital scales, $1,900 in cash, unknown
prescription drugs, marijuana, drug paraphernalia, a .44-caliber handgun,
ammunition, a cell phone, leather jacket and hydraulic press.
On Nov. 10, a deputy from the Iron County, Utah, sheriff's office pulled
over a Chevrolet Suburban for a traffic violation on Interstate 15, and
after smelling marijuana, he conducted a search, police said. The deputy
reported finding nine pounds of cocaine valued at about $2 million in three
packages and a loaded .38-caliber handgun in the center console. The deputy
also found marijuana on several of the suspects.
Those arrested were Jonathan Latham, 28, Jason O'Malley, 30, India Thornhill,
26, and Troy Verity, 24, all of 1337 Jefferson St. S.W. All are being held
on two counts of felony cocaine possession, child abuse, violation of drug
stamp tax and possession of a dangerous weapon and are being held at the
Iron County Jail.
There also were three children in the vehicle, including a 2-year-old who
belonged to Thornhill. The other two, ages 11 and 13, are supposed to be
brought back to Trumbull County later this week and put into the care of the
Children Service Bureau. The older children are not related to any of the
suspects, police said.
mkosinski@tribtoday.com
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