Drug offenses prominent in Highland County Grand Jury indictments

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Drug offenses were again highlighted in the most recent indictments handed down by a Highland County Grand Jury on Tuesday, with theft and sex offenses among other listed charges.

Eight of 13 people indicted in the October session of the grand jury are charged with crimes involving drugs, specifically heroin and methamphetamine.

Highland County Prosecuting Attorney Anneka Collins said drug abuse continues to be a leading cause of crime in the county.

Collins would not comment on the cases at hand, but estimated about 90 percent of the total cases handled by her office involve drugs, even if the alleged perpetrator isn’t charged with a drug offense.

“I would say in about 90 percent of our cases, drugs are related in some way,” Collins told The Times-Gazette. “Drugs often play a role in theft crimes and property crimes.”

Those indicted Tuesday were:

• Dru S. McGary, 30, Hillsboro, and Amber R. Blankenship, 28, Hillsboro, two counts aggravated possession of drugs and one count of possession of heroin, all fifth-degree felonies.

• Don Lester Rose Jr., 31, Leesburg, possession of heroin, a fifth-degree felony.

• Ryan M. Simpson, 18, Hillsboro, burglary, a second-degree felony, and theft, a first-degree misdemeanor.

• Kevin Ray Morris, 40, Hillsboro, illegal assembly or possession of chemicals for the manufacture of drugs, a third-degree felony.

• Talena Spoerl, 38, Greenfield, aggravated possession of methamphetamine, a fifth-degree felony.

• Alma Jean Taylor, 23, Jamestown, gross sexual imposition, a third-degree felony.

• Rebecca A. Ledford, 29, Wilmington, illegal conveyance of weapons or prohibited items onto the grounds of a detention facility or institution, a third-degree felony, and possession of heroin, a fourth-degree felony.

• Paul Mefford, 47, Seaman, aggravated possession of methamphetamine, a fifth-degree felony.

• Robert Daniel Young, 29, Hillsboro, failure to register a change of address as a registered sex offender, a third-degree felony.

• Corey L. Price, 23, Greenfield, aggravated burglary, a first-degree felony, and assault, a first-degree misdemeanor.

• Gregory Scott Martin, 37, Greenfield, two counts of grand theft, a third-degree felony, and aggravated possession of methamphetamine, a fifth-degree felony.

• Jacob D. Bell, 29, Hillsboro, burglary, a second-degree felony, and theft, a first-degree misdemeanor.

Reach David Wright at 937-402-2570, or on Twitter @DavidWrighter.

Collins
http://www.timesgazette.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/33/2017/10/web1_Collins-Anneka-mug.jpgCollins
Prosecutor estimates 90% of cases involve drugs

By David Wright

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