Meth, cash seized Monday
ST. CLAIRSVILLE — Ohio Attorney General Dave Yost, Gov. Mike DeWine and Belmont County Sheriff David M. Lucas today announced a significant methamphetamine seizure and subsequent arrest of a suspect.
“Every narcotic seizes that puts a trafficker in jail is a step in the right direction in removing deadly drugs from our communities,” Yost said. “This newly-formed task force is already a force to be reckoned with — hats off to Sheriff Lucas and the whole OOCIC team for their success.”
Charles McGhee, 61, of Bellaire, was arrested on felony charges of drug trafficking, drug possession and possessing a weapon under disability. Deputies seized 9 pounds of suspected methamphetamine, 6 ounces of suspected cocaine, $3,861, and a loaded firearm.
“This new task force is focusing specifically on intercepting drugs from large-scale drug trafficking organizations and drug cartels in this region, and these investigators are off to an impressive start,” said DeWine. “I appreciate the hard work of all of our law enforcement partners who are working to keep Belmont County and the surrounding area safe.”
The arrest was made as part of an ongoing investigation conducted by the Belmont County Major Drug Interdiction Task Force, part of the Ohio Organized Crime Investigations Commission.
The task force is funded through Gov. DeWine’s RecoveryOhio, in concert with the Ohio Department of Public Safety and the state Office of Criminal Justice Services.
“This is by far the largest seizure of meth in the history of Belmont County,” Sheriff Lucas said. “I am extremely pleased with the hard work and dedication of the detectives assigned to this unit in partnership with the Ohio Organized Crime Investigations Commission. I look forward to our future successes.”
The Belmont County Major Drug Interdiction Task Force is led by the Belmont County Sheriff’s Office and is assisted by the sheriff’s offices of Guernsey and Harrison counties and Homeland Security Investigations.
Today is Tuesday, March 16, the 75th day of 2021. There are 290 days left in the year.
Today’s Highlight in History:
On March 16, 1945, during World War II, American forces declared they had secured Iwo Jima, although pockets of Japanese resistance remained.
On this date:
In 1802, President Thomas Jefferson signed a measure authorizing the establishment of the U.S. Military Academy at West Point, New York.
In 1926, rocket science pioneer Robert H. Goddard successfully tested the first liquid-fueled rocket at his Aunt Effie’s farm in Auburn, Massachusetts.
In 1935, Adolf Hitler decided to break the military terms set by the Treaty of Versailles (vehr-SY’) by ordering the rearming of Germany.
In 1968, the My Lai massacre took place during the Vietnam War as U.S. Army soldiers hunting for Viet Cong fighters and sympathizers killed unarmed villagers in two hamlets of Son My village; estimates of the death toll vary from 347 to 504. Senator Robert F. Kennedy of New York announced his candidacy for the Democratic presidential nomination.
In 1972, in a nationally broadcast address, President Richard Nixon called for a moratorium on court-ordered school busing to achieve racial desegregation.
In 1984, William Buckley, the CIA station chief in Beirut, was kidnapped by Hezbollah militants (he was tortured by his captors and killed in 1985).
In 1987, Massachusetts Gov. Michael Dukakis announced his candidacy for the Democratic presidential nomination.
In 1991, a plane carrying seven members of country singer Reba McEntire’s band and her tour manager crashed into Otay Mountain in southern California, killing all on board. U.S. skaters Kristi Yamaguchi, Tonya Harding and Nancy Kerrigan swept the World Figure Skating Championships in Munich, Germany.
In 1994, figure skater Tonya Harding pleaded guilty in Portland, Oregon, to conspiracy to hinder prosecution for covering up an attack on rival Nancy Kerrigan, avoiding jail but drawing a $100,000 fine.
In 2003, American activist Rachel Corrie, 23, was crushed to death by an Israeli military bulldozer while trying to block demolition of a Palestinian home in the Gaza Strip.