Marijuana, cash seized from safe

A search warrant for a safe found in a Grafton house, details how police used social media and stakeouts to seize drug paraphernalia.

The search warrant return form was filed Dec. 7 at Lorain County Common Pleas Court by an investigator with the Grafton Police Department and seeks leave to search the contents of a black Stack-On safe, which was seized in a Nov. 16 raid in the 1000 block of Greenwich Drive.

According to the filing, police became aware of the home’s alleged involvement in drug trafficking through an anonymous source.

An auxiliary officer was able to record a series of 12 public snapchat messages between Oct. 4 and 5 from a person believed to be a resident at the home, the filing says.

These 12 messages showed various images of what was believe to be raw leafy marijuana, dozens of THC vape cartridges, cigars, marijuana shatter and THC oil, according to the filing.

Between Oct. 9 and Nov. 7, Grafton police officers made at least six traffic stops of vehicles leaving the house and confiscated more than 15 THC cartridges and more than 33.5 grams of raw marijuana, the filing claims.

On Nov. 16, police executed a search warrant for the residence signed by Judge Christopher R. Rothgery.

The safe was located in a room which also contained drugs packaged for sale, packaging material and money, the filing claims.

The owners of the house refused to give investigators the digital combination for the safe, so it was removed and taken to the Grafton Police Department for storage until a warrant could be secured, the filing says.

In an addendum to the filing, police listed the items found in the safe: 1,063 grams of marijuana resin; 145 THC vape cartridges; 647.8 grams of marijuana; 1,235 alleged Xanax pills; 25 broken alleged Xanax pills; more than $33,000 in cash; an iPhone box; a shoebox containing paperwork; and a gold necklace and a Smith & Wesson Bodyguard .380-pistol.

No one has been charged.