Prosecutor seeks $8,500 forfeiture in Warren

WARREN — A federal prosecutor is seeking forfeiture of more than $8,500 from a Warren man charged with drug trafficking.

The action was filed Tuesday in U.S. District Court by Herbert J. Villa, an assistant U.S. attorney, and seeks to retain $8,569 seized from John J. Canty, 49, of Oak Knoll Avenue.

Canty was indicted in March by a Trumbull County grand jury on a charge of aggravated possession of drugs. He is awaiting trial.

According to the complaint filed by Villa, an Ohio State Highway Patrol trooper saw Canty conduct an apparent transaction Jan. 2 while at the Speedway gas station on state Route 45.

The trooper stopped Canty’s vehicle for speeding and asked Canty to allow him to search the vehicle. Canty refused, the complaint says, claiming he had medication in the car.

When the trooper asked if he could see the medication, Canty showed the trooper an envelope containing several OxyContin pills, according to the complaint. The money was later found in the vehicle.

The lawsuit says that Canty has a criminal drug history and no visible legitimate employment.