SIDNEY — Five people were arrested on Thursday after police seized fentanyl, a handgun and more than $2,000 in counterfeit money on Thursday, according to Sidney police news release.
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- Joshua Centers, 28, has been charged with one count of drug paraphernalia possession
- Kandice M Centers, 33, has been charged with one count of drug paraphernalia possession
- Robert Johnson Jr., 39, has been charged with one count of forgery
- Joshua R McMasters, 39, has been with one count of drug possession
- Michael T Stotler, age 27, has been charged with one count of forgery
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UPDATE @ 3:30 p.m. (Aug. 11):
One of five people arrested Thursday night said they plan to fight the criminal charges they were arrested for during a drug investigation in Sidney.
Joshua Centers said he and his wife were in their home in the 600 block of North Miami Street when police raided the residence.
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“They come in with battering rams, took out the door, searched the whole place,” Centers told News Center 7’s John Bedell, just hours after he was released from Shelby County Jail. “Sounded like a gunshot going off.”
Centers admitted there were scales in the bedroom he and his wife were staying in, but denied them being used for drugs.
“I had the scales for my own purposes. They did have some residue on them, but other than that there was nothing to be used for any drug activity,” Centers said.
Joshua Centers said he is recovering from an addiction to heroin, but said he’s no longer using the drug.
“Heroin was my drug of choice,” said Centers. “I’m getting cleaned up.”
INITIAL REPORT:
Joshua and Kandice Centers, Johnson, McMasters and Stotler are being held at the Shelby County Jail.
The arrests came after law enforcement officers obtained information during a traffic stop on Thursday, and from other sources. Law enforcement officers executed search warrants at a home in the 600 block of North Miami Avenue around 3:45 p.m., and a second search warrant around 9:18 p.m. at a home in the 600 block of Marilyn Drive.
Sidney police worked with Piqua police officers and Secret Service agents to enable Sidney and Piqua tactical teams to execute the search warrants.
Anyone with information about this incident or other drug activity can contact the Sidney Police Department at 937-498-2351 or Crime Stoppers at 937-492-8477 (TIPS).
The investigation is ongoing and more charges are likely to follow after further review with the Shelby County Prosecutor, according to the police news release.