News
Two Indicted in Heroin Trafficking Investigation, Third Pleads Guilty
By: Susan Tebben
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Two suspects in a joint investigation by area law enforcement into a heroin trafficking operation have been indicted in Athens County Common Pleas Court, and a third pleaded guilty.
Eric J. Miller, 36, and Lindsey Roach, 24, were both indicted by an Athens County grand jury on charges of engaging in a pattern of corrupt activity, possessing criminal tools and multiple heroin trafficking charges.
Miller was also charged with money laundering in the indictment, according to a press release by the Athens County Prosecutor’s Office.
The Westerville man was arrested on March 30 on a charge of engaging in a pattern of corrupt activity, a charge out of the Athens County Municipal Court and a warrant out of Meigs County Common Pleas Court charging him with possession of heroin, trafficking in heroin and failure to comply with an order or signal of a police officer.
At the same time Miller was arrested, Kristin Smith, 26, was also taken into custody on a charge of engaging in a pattern of corrupt activity. Athens County Prosecutor Keller Blackburn said Smith pleaded guilty to a bill of information on Thursday to the charge of conspiracy to engage in a pattern of corrupt activity. She is now entering the prosecutor’s office diversion program as part of a plea agreement.
The arrests were made after “several months” of investigation into alleged trade of illegal narcotics by a suspect that was known only as “E,” according to previous WOUB reporting.
“‘E’ had long been a known, but unattainable target,” Prosecutor Keller Blackburn stated in a release after the arrests. “He is now in custody and can answer for the allegations against him.”
The Athens County Prosecutor worked with the Columbus Police Department’s Zone 3 response team, gathering information and eventually making the arrests. CPD was contacted after the investigation moved from Licking County to West Columbus.
A search warrant was conducted on Miller’s Westerville residence and his vehicle. The release did not specify what, if anything, was found during the search.
Agencies involved in the original investigations include the Meigs-Gallia County Task Force, Fairfield-Hocking-Athens Major Crimes Unit, along with the Athens County Prosecutor’s Office.
Miller is currently incarcerated in the Southeastern Ohio Regional Jail, and is set to be arraigned on April 20. Roach is still at large, with a warrant for her arrest still active, the release stated.
Blackburn said the case is still under investigation, and investigators are still searching for other alleged co-conspirators.