Deputies of the Richland County Sheriff’s Office were dispatched to 771 Laver Road in Mansfield for a burglary in progress on March 18 at 7:09 p.m. According to a press release dated March 19, the caller reported that she could hear someone inside the residence. She told dispatch that the door had been opened and there were possible drugs involved.
The press release stated that deputies arrived and as soon as they opened the door to the apartment complex hallway they smelled a strong odor of marijuana. Deputies heard multiple individuals inside apartment No. 1.
At that time an individual exited the apartment and denied that anyone else was inside and that he had permission to be in the apartment. The individual did not have a key for the apartment.
Deputies checked the door and it was locked. Deputies asked him if he did not have a key to the room, how did he get into the room. He advised that the door was open. Deputies then knocked on the door and five individuals came out of the apartment. All were detained by deputies.
The press release noted that when the door was opened a strong odor of marijuana was coming from within and illegal items were in plain view.
Deputies discovered drug paraphernalia inside the residence including a large baggie of marijuana, Raid rat poison, Comet, a large roll of money totaling $8,060.00, and individual baggies.
Also found were sheets of wax paper with a brown wax type material on it, commonly identified as “marijuana wax,” which the press release stated is known to be 80 percent pure tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) and valued at five times the amount per gram as marijuana.
All six individuals were identified and transported to the Richland County Sheriff’s Office.
The property manager advised that the tenants of apartment No. 1 had moved out around March 14.
METRICH assisted in the investigation.
The investigation will be forwarded to the Richland County Prosecutor’s Office for review.
