By Krystal Smalley
ksmalley@wbcowqel.com
One of three individuals arrested in a drug bust on Tuesday could spend decades in prison if he is found guilty.
Thirty-eight-year-old Khabeer J. Brown appeared in Crawford County Municipal Court Thursday afternoon for an initial appearance on multiple first-degree felony charges. Judge Shane Leuthold informed Brown that that charges against him involved possessing over 250 grams of heroin at 231 Walker St. in Galion, possessing cocaine exceeding 100 grams at that same location, and possessing over 100 grams of cocaine at 937 N. Sandusky Ave. in Bucyrus.
The first-degree felonies carry a mandatory minimum of 11 years to a maximum of 15 years in prison if Brown is found guilty. Combined, he could face anywhere between 33 and 45 years in prison.
County prosecutor Matthew Crall believed Brown to be a flight risk, though he noted the only thing on his record was a protection violation.
“This court would be remiss if it didn’t indicate it had prior knowledge of Mr. Brown,” said Leuthold, who signed the search warrants. The judge noted that local law enforcement had been monitoring Brown for years, but narrowly missed him each time a search warrant was signed.
“If these allegations are true . . . they finally caught you,” Leuthold said to Brown over videoconference as the other man sat slouched in his chair, occasionally smiling. “I have no doubt they (the drugs) would have hit our streets. I have no doubt you have dumped millions of dollars’ worth of drugs in our community. The price of that many drugs has ravaged many lives, many families.”
“Anything less than a $3 million bond would be ridiculous,” he added.
Leuthold ordered Brown to have no contact with his co-defendants, Timothy Rathers and Billie Rathers, and appointed Derek Dailey of Upper Sandusky as his attorney.
The Rathers, who reside at the Sandusky Avenue residence, were both charged with permitting drug abuse, a fifth-degree felony that carries a maximum sentence of 12 months in prison.
Crall said 55-year-old Timothy Rathers and 57-year-old Billie Rathers allegedly allowed their home to be used as a place for drug activity. More than 100 grams of cocaine were found in their home. He did not believe they were involved in trafficking drugs.
Leuthold set bond at $50,000 each for Billie and Timothy Rathers.
Brown and the Rathers were arrested Tuesday after the Bucyrus and Galion police, Crawford County Special Response Team, and METRICH Task Force issued search warrants at homes in Bucyrus and Galion within hours of each other. A large quantity of suspected crack cocaine, suspected heroin, and over $1,200 in cash were seized from the Bucyrus home. Police seized more than four kilos of suspected crack cocaine and an estimated 800 grams of suspected heroin from the Galion home. The estimated weight of heroin seized was 820 grams valued at $16,000 and over five kilograms of crack cocaine valued at $350,000.
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