News

14 Charged In Alleged Drug Ring

By: WOUB Staff Writer
Posted on: Tuesday, June 30, 2015

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More than a dozen people have been charged in what is alleged to be the second drug ring in recent Athens County history.

Fourteen people, some of whom investigators are still searching for, have been charged in a “drug trafficking ring that has been bringing drugs from Columbus, Ohio, to Athens County for quite some time,” according to a press release by the Athens County Prosecutor’s Office.

The prosecutor’s office partnered in the case with the Athens Major Crimes Unit, the Hocking Major Crimes Unit, the Glouster Police Department, the Athens County Sheriff’s Office, the Athens County 911 Communication Center, the Perry County Sheriff’s Office, the Ohio State Highway Patrol and the Ohio Bureau of Criminal Investigation.

“(Investigators) have taken another huge step in stopping the flow of drugs into Athens County,” Athens County Prosecutor Keller Blackburn stated in the release.

Arrested in connection with the alleged ring were:

• Anthony A. Spears, 35, of Nelsonville, for engaging in a pattern of corrupt activity, two counts of money laundering, two counts of trafficking in heroin, one count of possession of heroin, two counts of having weapons while under disability, three counts of trafficking in heroin, one count of possession of heroin, four counts of possessing criminal tools, one count of operating a vehicle with a hidden compartment, one counts of tampering with evidence and one count of possession of cocaine.
• Megan D. Vore, also known as Megan D. Spears, 25, of Nelsonville, for one count of engaging in a pattern of corrupt activity, two counts of money laundering, two counts of trafficking in heroin, one count of possession of heroin, one count of having weapons while under disability, three counts of trafficking in heroin, one count of possession of heroin, four counts of possessing criminal tools, one count of operating a vehicle with a hidden compartment, one count of tampering with evidence, one count of possession of heroin and two counts of possession of cocaine.
• Kevin A. Degarmore, 22, of Glouster and currently being held in the Southeastern Ohio Regional Jail, for one count of engaging in a pattern of corrupt activity, four counts of trafficking in heroin, one count of tampering with evidence, two counts of trafficking in heroin, two counts of trafficking in heroin, and one count of possessing criminal tools.
• Robert Degarmore, 53, of Glouster and currently being held in the Southeastern Ohio Regional Jail, for one count of engaging in a pattern of corrupt activity, one count of tampering with evidence, seven counts of trafficking in heroin and possessing criminal tools.
• Ronnie Degarmore, 51, of Glouster and currently being held in the Southeastern Ohio Regional Jail, for one count of engaging in a pattern of corrupt activity, five counts of trafficking in heroin, one count of tampering with evidence, one count of possessing criminal tools and one count of obstructing justice.
• Richard E. Losey, 36, of Glouster and currently in custody, for one count of engaging in a pattern of corrupt activity, one count of possession of heroin and one count of possession of cocaine.
• Patricia Nichole Vore, 29, currently in custody, for one count of engaging in a pattern of corrupt activity, two counts of trafficking in heroin, one count of possessing criminal tools, one count of possession of heroin, one count of possession of cocaine and two counts of trafficking in heroin.
• Amy Beth Degarmore, also known as Amy Beth Sawyers and Amy Beth Morris, 33, of Glouster, for one count of engaging in a pattern of corrupt activity and one count of trafficking in heroin.
• John “Michael” Losey, 31, currently in custody, for four counts of trafficking in heroin and one count of possessing criminal tools.
• Cary A. Losey, also known as Cary A. Spears, 39, currently in custody, for one count of engaging in a pattern of corrupt activity, four counts of trafficking in heroin.
• Kelly Marie Cox, 44, of Glouster and currently in custody, for one count of engaging in a pattern of corrupt activity and one count of possessing criminal tools.
• Jeffrey W. Degarmore, 49, currently incarcerated at the Hocking Unit of the Southeastern Correctional Complex, for one count of engaging in a pattern of corrupt activity.
• Leesha M. Santek, 28, currently incarcerated at the Ohio Reformatory for Women, for one count of engaging in a pattern of corrupt activity.
• Gerald W. Hammon, Jr., 41, of Glouster, for one count of engaging in a pattern of corrupt activity.

This ring follows a previous ring in Glouster for which dozens of individuals were arrested and charged. The leader of the drug ring, Brandon Allen, was a former Detroit police officer who recently voluntarily dismissed his appeal to a 17-year sentence for 10 counts of aggravated trafficking and one count of aggravated possession of drugs.

Allen and dozens others, including the so-called local leader of the ring, Derek Gyure, were sentenced in connection with trafficking of oxycodone.

Blackburn said the most recent alleged trafficking ring is primarily a heroin ring which has recently introduced cocaine.

“The investigation into this ring shows that it has existed since before 2011,” Blackburn stated.

While ten of those charged are in custody, investigators are still searching for Anthony A. Spears, Megan D. Vore and Amy Beth Degarmore. Any information on the whereabouts of the individuals should be reported to the Athens County Sheriff’s Office, at (740) 593-6633.