Authorities charge Cleveland man after drug raid

Some of the suspects live in Cleveland and Pennsylvania.
By WILLIAM K. ALCORN
VINDICATOR STAFF WRITER
LISBON -- A Cleveland man was charged with possession of illegal drugs after a raid on a house in the 400 Block of West Washington Street.
Denis A. Palacios, 28, is being held without bond in Columbiana County Jail awaiting a video arraignment at 10:30 a.m. Monday in Columbiana Municipal Court, a jail official said.
Lisbon Police Chief John Higgins said 10 people -- six males, two females and two small children, some of whom live in Cleveland and Pennsylvania -- were in the house when it was raided by the Columbiana Drug Task Force at 2:30 p.m. Friday.
More charges
Palacios was the only one immediately charged. However, Higgins said task force officers were scheduled to confer with the county prosecutor Monday on possible charges against the other adults in the house.
Higgins said he did not know the exact amount of drugs and cash found in the house, but he estimated three to four ounces of crack cocaine were recovered.
He said no weapons were found in the home, and its occupants surrendered to police without incident.
Higgins said the four-month investigation that led to Friday's raid was triggered by citizen complaints about a lot of people going in and out of the house. The chief said nine members of the drug task force and three Lisbon city policemen conducted the raid, and three members of the Ohio State Highway Patrol provided security.
alcorn@vindy.com