Grand jury to consider drug case

WARREN -- A Trumbull County grand jury will soon decide if a 22-year-old Niles woman, who filed a $20 million civil lawsuit against a local physician alleging he traded drugs for sex, will be indicted on felony drug charges.
Judge Thomas Old of Newton Falls Municipal Court sent Nicole L. Krotzer's case to the grand jury Tuesday after she waived her right to a preliminary hearing.
Krotzer, 22, of North Road, pleaded innocent to a felony charge of possession of drugs and a misdemeanor count of possession of drug paraphernalia. She is free on a $5,000 bond.
What's behind charges: The Ohio State Highway Patrol, which conducted the investigation, has accused Krotzer of having 5 grams of cocaine in March. Krotzer's attorney, Thomas Furth of Cleveland, said the drugs were found in Krotzer's vehicle but they belonged to Krotzer's friend.
Furth said Krotzer is innocent. Krotzer has an unpublished telephone number and could not be reached to comment.
Furth filed a suit on Krotzer's behalf in February alleging that Dr. Ben Lazaro, whose office is on North Road in Warren, raped Krotzer and that she became pregnant.
Krotzer also said in the lawsuit that Dr. Lazaro gave her various prescription drugs that she could sell.
No criminal charges have been filed against Dr. Lazaro and he has denied the allegations. His lawyer is J. Gerald Ingram.
Ingram also has filed a motion asking the judge to dismiss Krotzer's civil complaint. His motion states that Krotzer's complaint "is simply so scandalous, vague and ambiguous."