Woman suing doctor faces drug charge

By PEGGY SINKOVICH
VINDICATOR TRUMBULL STAFF
NEWTON FALLS -- A 22-year-old Niles woman who filed a $20 million civil lawsuit against a local physician alleging he traded drugs for sex has been arrested on a charge of possession of drugs.
Nicole L. Krotzer of North Road pleaded innocent in municipal court here Friday to the felony charge and was released on a $5,000 bond. She is accused of possessing five grams of cocaine earlier this month, officials said.
Hearing set: A preliminary hearing has been scheduled for Tuesday, court officials said.
Krotzer has an unpublished telephone number and could not be reached to comment. Her attorney, Thomas Furth of Cleveland, said Friday that his client is innocent.
Furth filed a suit in Krotzer's behalf in February alleging that Dr. Ben Lazaro, whose office is on North Road in Warren, raped Krotzer and that Krotzer 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 his attorney, J. Gerald Ingram, has denied the allegations.
Search warrant: Krotzer was brought to court Friday after a trooper with the Southington Post of the Ohio State Highway Patrol received a search warrant from Judge John Stuard of Trumbull County Common Pleas Court granting permission to enter Krotzer's apartment and arrest her on the charge.
Court records indicate that authorities have been looking for Krotzer in connection with an arrest warrant issued for her March 26 in Newton Falls court.
The records indicate that officers saw Krotzer at her apartment but she "refused to answer the door."