Mineral Ridge, Canfield women sentenced in heroin ring case

January 22, 2016 at 12:03a.m.

YOUNGSTOWN

While Heidi Smith kept her heroin addiction secret from her family, her attorney said Thursday in Mahoning County Common Pleas Court that her friends knew Smith was able to get safe heroin for them.

Smith, 31, of Mineral Ridge, was sentenced to four years in prison Thursday by Judge Shirley J. Christian with an option for judicial release within six months if she behaves.

She was one of two women sentenced by Judge Christian for their roles in a large-scale heroin ring, which resulted in the indictments in common pleas court last summer of more than 30 people.

Smith pleaded guilty to charges of possession of heroin, aggravated trafficking in drugs and engaging in a pattern of corrupt activity. Her attorney, Samuel Amendolara, said Smith grew addicted to heroin because of an addiction to pain pills she received after undergoing medical treatment.

The sentence was agreed upon by Amendolara and Margaret Tomaro, a prosecutor with the state attorney general’s office, who is helping to prosecute the case.

Amendolara said Smith would crush the pills and snort them, but when the pills she was taking were made in such a way that they could not be crushed, she turned to heroin. Amendolara said Smith lived with her parents and had a job and kept her addiction secret for several years.

She was getting her heroin in Mahoning County, so Amendolara said her friends then turned to her to get them heroin there – because people in Trumbull County were dying from unsafe heroin.

“She could make the call. She could make the text to get good stuff,” Amendolara said.

A sister of Smith’s asked Judge Christian for leniency, saying that since she has been free on bail she has been clean from drugs and is a good person. She also told the judge that Smith has ample family support, and there were several people in the gallery to support her.

Smith told the judge her faith is helping her in her recovery. She told Judge Christian she takes full responsibility for her actions but never thought her addiction to pain pills would lead to her becoming addicted to heroin.

Judge Christian said she has no doubt Smith will continue to do well in recovery but that some prison time is necessary because she also was involved in helping other people get drugs, which hurt their families in much the way Smith’s family was hurt.

Sentenced before Smith to two years’ probation was Alana Reese, 21, of Canfield, who pleaded guilty to two counts of possession of heroin, a fifth-degree felony. As part of her probation, Reese must complete the drug-treatment program at Community Corrections Association and also get a job. She had managed to post bond after she was indicted but was rearrested Jan. 8, according to jail records. A reason for her arrest could not be found in court or jail records. The sentencing was part of a plea agreement between Tomaro and defense counsel.

Her attorney, J. Gerald Ingram, asked Judge Christian to stick to the recommended sentence. He said in the past, Reese has not been pleasant to deal with but since she has been in the jail and had a couple of weeks of sobriety, she is a changed person.

“I’m hopeful treatment can restore her to normalcy,” Ingram said. He also said his client is two months pregnant.

Judge Christian asked Reese why she should grant her probation. Reese said she wants to change her life, especially because now she has a baby on the way.

“I realize I need to change, not just for me but for my baby,” Reese said.

The judge told her if she violates probation, she will go to prison.