25 Arrested In Pickaway County Drug Round-Up - NBC4i.com

ASHVILLE, Ohio --

Authorities arrested 21 people Friday as part of a drug-trafficking investigation in Ashville.

With a population of about 5,000, the village of Ashville in Pickaway County has become the bull's-eye in the war against drugs along U.S. Route 23.

This week, Ashville police, along with Circleville police and the Pickaway County Sheriff's Office, went after 34 people for drug trafficking.

"We've been getting a lot of calls in here about drug activity in various parts of the village, so I got a hold of Sheriff (Dwight) Radcliff, went down, had a meeting with him, and he was able to provide us with some help," said Ashville Police Chief Doug Clark.

The operation yielded 21 arrests in what was the latest sweep along the U.S. Route 23 drug pipeline.

A similar round-up was conducted in 2009, but officials said it was time for another initiative.

"It will slow them down for a little while, but it'll pick back up. You might take one out, but you got two in the background, waiting to be the big dog around here," Clark said.

The following people were arrested as part of the operation:

• Travis R. Kellough, 22, Circleville, two counts of trafficking heroin;
• Brian M. Kitchen, 21, Circleville, one count of trafficking heroin;
• Gregory A. Gibson, 40, Circleville, three counts of trafficking heroin;
• Michealyn K. Watkins, 22, Circleville, one count of trafficking heroin;
• Bo T. Cross, 26, Ashville, two counts of permitting drug abuse;
• Gary A. McCollister, Jr., 34, Ashville, one count of trafficking heroin;
• Samantha M. Russell (Knight), 23, Circleville, one count of trafficking heroin;
• Nick M. Coulson, Jr., 29, Ashville, one count of trafficking heroin;
• April N. Booth, 27, Ashville, one count of trafficking heroin and one count of trafficking schedule III, IV drugs;
• James G. Blanton, Jr., 28, South Bloomfield, one count of trafficking schedule II drugs;
• Tiffany E. Parsley, 34, Laurelville, one count of trafficking heroin;
• Alisha R. Campbell, 22, Tarlton, one count of trafficking heroin;
• William M. Brown, Jr., 26, Ashville, three counts of trafficking heroin;
• Anna M. White, 28, Circleville, one count of permitting drug abuse;
• Kathryn N. Pennington, 22, Circleville, one count of trafficking cocaine, one count of trafficking heroin and one count of forgery;
• Kelly J. Funk, 50, Circleville, one count of trafficking heroin;
• Adam M. Leatherwood, 30, Circleville, one count of trafficking heroin;
• Trent A. Lauritsen, 30, Lockbourne, two counts of trafficking schedule III, IV drugs;
• Buddy Stepp, 31, Circleville, two counts of trafficking heroin;
• Robert Griffith, 20, Circleville, two counts of forgery;
• Joseph Kirk, Jr., 30, Lockbourne, one count of trafficking heroin;
• Amanda Lane, 27, Circleville, one count of trafficking heroin;
• Dave D. Loveless, 63, Circleville, one count of trafficking heroin;
• Darlene Stepp, 71, Circleville, one count of permitting drug abuse.

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