A Columbus man was arrested on felony drug charges after a traffic stop in Scioto County on Wednesday seized approximately 72 grams of suspected cocaine, the Scioto County Sheriff’s Office announced in a news release on Thursday, October 22.
Scioto County Sheriff David Thoroughman and Portsmouth Police Chief Debby Brewer said the arrest followed an investigation by the Southern Ohio Drug Task Force in coordination with the Ohio State Highway Patrol. At approximately 4:27 p.m. on October 21, troopers stopped a vehicle for traffic violations near mile marker 24 on State Route 73 in West Portsmouth, according to the release.
During the stop, troopers seized the suspected cocaine, which the sheriff’s office estimated has a street value of $7,200. Jimmy Lee Jones, 38, of Columbus, was arrested and charged with one count of trafficking in drugs and one count of possession of drugs, both felonies of the first degree, the release said.
Jones was booked into the Scioto County Jail and was scheduled to be arraigned at 9 a.m. on Thursday, October 22, in Portsmouth Municipal Court, according to the sheriff’s office.
First-degree felonies are the most serious felony level under Ohio law, and trafficking and possession charges at that level reflect the quantity of suspected drugs involved in a case. Jones remains jailed pending the court process described by the sheriff’s office, and the charges are allegations to be tested in court and before the grand jury.
The case will be forwarded to the Scioto County Prosecutor’s Office for presentation to a Scioto County grand jury, which may consider additional charges, the release said. No additional details about the investigation were released.
The stop was part of an ongoing investigation, according to the sheriff’s office, which credited the coordination between the Southern Ohio Drug Task Force and the Ohio State Highway Patrol in making the seizure.
Sheriff Thoroughman and Chief Brewer encourage anyone with information about drug activity to contact the Southern Ohio Drug Task Force tip line at (740) 354-3784 or by email at [email protected]. The sheriff’s office said all information will be kept confidential and anonymous.
Photo: Christopher L. Riley, CC BY-SA