UPDATE @ 4:43 p.m.:
The Greene County Ace Task Force is reporting that as of 4:30 p.m. they have 7 of their 20 suspects in custody. All 20 suspects may be connected with the recent spike in drug related deaths. The suspects will face 99 felony charges and two misdemeanor charges.
UPDATE@12:33 p.m.:
The Greene County ACE Task Force, led by the Greene County Sheriff's Office, is in the process of rounding up 20 suspects who investigators say may be connected with some of the recent drug-related deaths in the area.
The suspects face 99 felony and two misdemeanor charges involving trafficking drugs such as heroin, fentanyl, LSD, cocaine, meth, marijuana and prescription medication, officials said.
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The majority of these suspects reside in Greene County, the sheriff said.
“Hopefully, this will make a little bit of a dent,” Fischer said. “The (Ohio) attorney general is on record saying that we’re not going to be able to arrest our way out of the heroin epidemic and I agree with him. But we’ve got to go after people who are killing our citizens.”
The suspects last known addresses were in: Xenia 6; Fairborn 4, Dayton 4; Springfield 2; Bellbrook 1; Bowersville 1; Detroit, Mich. 1; At large 1.
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Fischer said society is going to have to come up with an answer to the drug epidemic. “I don’t have the answer,” he said. “It’s an amazing event and nothing like it in my career as a law enforcement officer.”
Fischer said people are not utilizing the help available for drug abuse.
“If somebody needs help, come see me,” Fischer said. “We can direct you to a place that will help you.”
First report:
The Greene County Sheriff's Office has called a press conference at 11 this morning to discuss the case of three inmates who were hospitalized Wednesday.
According to reports, drugs were smuggled into the Greene County Adult Detention Center Tuesday night, and there was fight in which one inmate was assaulted and two others appeared to have overdosed, officials said.
During the same news conference Sheriff Gene Fischer will also discuss an unrelated investigation which the Agencies for Combined Enforcement (ACE) Task Force is conducting.
Reporter Gabrielle Enright will be at the press conference, and she will have a full report on WHIO TV at noon.
