Friday, January 19, 2007
No drug trafficking occurred on school property, the chief said.
By TIM YOVICH
VINDICATOR TRUMBULL STAFF
GIRARD -- Police Chief Frank Bigowsky says he will continue the effort to reduce drug sales and use in this community.
Bigowsky said Thursday the arrests of 10 young people, including six Girard High School students, on charges of selling marijuana has reinforced his use of a three-prong approach -- investigation, education and parental drug testing of their children.
Police arrested the 10 Wednesday and Thursday, with assistance from agents of the U.S. Marshals Service.
Bigowsky said the three juveniles and three adults are students.
Police said none of the drug trafficking occurred on school property, although it had taken place within 1,000 feet of board of education property, such as playgrounds and athletic fields.
The names of the three juveniles were not provided by Girard police.
The information about their charges has been sent to the Trumbull County juvenile authorities.
Adults arrested
Those adults charged with trafficking in marijuana, all of Girard, are: Danilo Comichista, 18, of Oak Street; Matt Polinsky, 18, of Cheyenne Avenue; Mark Ragozine, 18, of Navajo Trail; David C. Miller, 25, of East Main Street; Jonathan Karabin, 19, of Maple Avenue; Zachary Diamond, 18, of East Howard St.; and Ryan Pezzuto, 18, of North Highland Avenue.
Comichista, Polinsky and Ragozine are students, Bigowsky said.
All but one of the adults were arraigned Wednesday in Girard Municipal Court; Pezzuto was arraigned Thursday after surrendering to Girard police.
They have been released on bonds ranging from 2,500 to 12,500. Their preliminary hearings were scheduled for later this month or in early February.
The probe was conducted by Detectives Gregory Manente and John Norman.
The chief pointed out the arrests are an indication of a drug problem in the city, including the schools.
Bigowsky explained that police received a tip of the marijuana sales and the case "snowballed."
"It's pretty basic police work," he said of the investigation.
Bigowsky said his officers will continue their investigations into drug trafficking, educate students about drugs and provide free test kits for parents to test their children for drug use.
Two kits are available that test urine for the presence of cocaine and marijuana. Parents can then decide if they want to get help for their children.
"We're not advocating any specific drug program," Bigowsky said of the testing program that began last summer.
Superintendent Joseph Jeswald did not return several phone calls Thursday.
yovich@vindy.com