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Prosecutor: LSD found among pills in Oak Hill home
By Joe Gorman
YOUNGSTOWN
City Prosecutor Dana Lantz said Friday that a large amount of LSD was found along with 3,415 pills during a raid earlier this week at an Oak Hill Avenue home.
Lantz said the amount is so large and unusual that vice-squad officers who helped serve a search warrant at the home along with members of the Community Police Unit have never seen anything like it, noting that last weekend, a man was arrested with 54 LSD pills in his possession.
“It’s very disconcerting because we don’t know any local suppliers,” Lantz said.
Police Chief Robin Lees, who spent a large portion of his career investigating drug crimes, said the finding of LSD is very unusual. He said it was almost nonexistent in the 1980s and in the 1990s it would pop up “from time to time.”
Lees said police are not sure if they have found a major LSD operation or a one-time find of the drug. He said a thorough investigation is taking place.
“This is going to be pushed vigorously because of the potential,” Lees said.
Arraigned in municipal court Friday before Judge Elizabeth Kobly on second-degree felony charges of possession of drugs for the LSD and third-degree felony possession of drugs for other pills found in the home were Lewer Dent, 26, of Cook Avenue in Boardman and Marqueal Smith, 25, who police said listed the home as his address. Their bonds were set at $100,000 each.
Arraigned on two third-degree felony drug-possession charges for both the LSD and the other pills was Shaquille Williams, 22, of Hilton Avenue. His bond was set at $50,000.
Officers serving a search warrant at the home found 3,415 pills identified as Tramadol, an opiate-based painkiller. Lantz said during the arraignments for the three that there also were other pills that were tested and found to be LSD, and there are other pills still to be tested.
The officers also found more than $2,600 cash inside the home despite the fact all three said they do not work when they asked for and were granted court-appointed lawyers. Smith said he last worked around Christmas at a fast-food restaurant and donates blood, while Williams said, “I never actually had a real full-time job.”
Dent said his mother supports him. But Lantz said he was involved in the last Community Initiative to Reduce Violence call-in, a program run by the city to help people get out of a criminal lifestyle, which includes helping them to get a job.
“Instead, he puts food on the table by selling drugs,” Lantz said.
On March 12 a man was stopped at Market Street and Myrtle Avenue for an improper turn, and when he was searched, police found 54 LSD pills. Aric Longcoy, 24, of Mayfield Avenue, remains in the Mahoning County jail in lieu of $15,000 bond since his arraignment in municipal court on charges of possession of drugs. He has a preliminary hearing set for Monday.