Submitted article
news@wbcowqel.com 

Due to the large amount of felony cases forwarded to the Crawford County Prosecutor’s Office, Crawford County Prosecutor Matthew Crall convened a special session of the Grand Jury on June 23, 2015. According to Crall, the Grand Jury returned 26 indictments. Included in those indictment were 35 individual charges. Among those charges were 25 drug charges.

Matt Crall at Hoffman hearing 01-14-15According to County Prosecutor Matthew Crall, “While we are making some headway in fighting illegal drug use, it is clear that the biggest problem dilemma facing Crawford County is still illegal drug use. Again, I must commend our local law enforcement for their hard work in helping to hold those who break the law accountable. The collaborative effort of the Strategic Response Team (SRT) is seeing results.”

SRT is a collaborative effort between the Crawford County Sheriff Office, the Bucyrus Police and Fire Departments, the Galion Police and Fire Departments, and the Crawford County Prosecutor’s Office being used, among other things, to combat illegal drug use.

The breakdown of cases from law enforcement agencies is as follows:

  • Bucyrus Police Department – 10 indictments
  • Crawford County Sheriff Office – seven indictments
  • Galion Police Department – two indictments
  • Crestline Police Department – five indictments
  • New Washington – one indictment

“Many of these drug arrests involved our local agencies working together through the SRT as well as working with the METRICH Drug Task Force,” stated Prosecutor Crall. “These twenty-six indictments are in addition to the thirty-two indictments handed down by the grand jury on June 8. These cases have created a heavy caseload for everyone involved – law enforcement, the Crawford County Justice Center, the Prosecutor’s Office, the Courts, and Clerk’s Offices. I personally want to thank everyone who works in all those offices. Without their dedication, my office would not be able to prosecute this heavy caseload in the efficient manner we have come to expect.”

The following indictments are set for arraignment on June 29 at 9 a.m.: Brook Bayless (possession of drugs – Ritalin), Andrew Callahan (domestic violence), Angela Carroll (possession of drugs – Oxycodone), Joshua Denzer (breaking and entering), April Dyer (possession of drugs – heroin, trafficking, corrupt activities), Robin Hall (possession of drugs – heroin), Joshua Keith (possession of drugs – heroin, trafficking, corrupt activities), Chade Kennedy (burglary), Natalie McIntyre (possession of drugs – heroin), Alyssa Pangallo (possession of drugs – heroin), Ronald Pavlus (possession of drugs – heroin), Gary Poth (possession of drugs – heroin, trafficking, corrupt activities), Chelsea Prosser (possession of drugs – heroin, trafficking), Joshua Smith (possession of drugs – methamphetamine), Douglas Swart (possession of drugs – Oxycodone, possession of drugs – Fentanyl), Paul Villavicencio (possession of drugs – heroin), Aaron Watkins (possession of drugs – methamphetamine), Alonzo West (failure to register), Brooke Wiechum (possession of drugs – heroin, possession of drugs – Oxycodone), James Wills (possession of drugs – Oxycodone), and Adam Young (breaking and entering).

Five cases remain sealed at this time.