Four plead innocent to heroin possession

February 19, 2011 at 12:00a.m.

Staff report

WARREN

Three Champion residents and one from Middlefield pleaded innocent Thursday in Warren Municipal Court to heroin possession and were released on bond after a drug investigation.

Lyndsay Becker, 25, Mike Vanni, 24, and James Thomas, 20, all of 5204 Copeland Ave., Champion, and Don Taylor, 23, of Old State Road, Middlefield, were arrested by the Trumbull Ashtabula Law Enforcement Task Force on Wednesday and taken to the Trumbull County jail.

If convicted on the charge, each defendant faces up to a year in prison.

TAG seized heroin, needles and marijuana while searching the Copeland Avenue residence Jan. 19, TAG said. The arrests concluded an investigation into drug-related activities taking place at the house.

Lt. Jeff Orr, commander of TAG, said the task force has seen a 375 percent increase in heroin seized since 2009, and snorting the drug has become more common.

Heroin has become a common next step for young people who have become addicted to a prescription narcotic, Orr said.