Police raid 2 houses in Niles, arrest four in drug probe

NILES -- An eight-month investigation led to searches of two city homes and the arrest of four people Wednesday night.
Officers from the Niles police narcotics unit, Trumbull County Drug Task Force, Ohio Bureau of Criminal Identification and Investigation and agents from the Youngstown office of the federal Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms searched 806 Clay St. and 223 S. Cedar St. shortly after 6 p.m.
Wednesday's raid was the third one since November at the South Cedar Street house, owned by D.J. Turner.
The Trumbull County grand jury indicted Turner, 53, Tuesday on charges of permitting drug abuse, engaging in a pattern of corrupt activity and five counts of complicity to trafficking in crack cocaine.
David Mask, 53, who owns the Clay Street house, was arrested on four counts of aggravated trafficking in cocaine. A woman at the home, Sarah Durst, no age available, was arrested on a warrant issued from Newton Falls Municipal Court for a probation violation. Court records list her address on Walnut Street in Niles.
Investigators seized drug paraphernalia, records and a small amount of suspected crack cocaine.
In other house: Charges of aggravated trafficking in cocaine were expected to be filed against two people arrested at the South Cedar Street home, where investigators seized suspected crack cocaine, records, drug paraphernalia and money.
Officers used portable lighting from the fire department to search the house because the utilities had been turned off. Police said the crackdown on narcotics sales in the city would continue.