MONROE TOWNSHIP — A 41-year-old Monroe Township resident was charged with felony drug possession Tuesday after a joint operation by the METRICH Enforcement Unit and U.S. Postal Service inspectors from Cleveland.
Benjamin Radojcsics of 4232 Lucas Perrysville Road was arraigned Wednesday in Mansfield Municipal Court, where a magistrate set bond at $1 million on the first-degree felony charge.
A preliminary hearing was set for March 19 before Mansfield Municipal Court Judge Michael Kemerer.
The U.S. Postal Inspection Service office in Cleveland contacted METRICH detectives to inform them a parcel was intercepted with about two kilograms of pills containing methamphetamine destined for Richland County.
Two kilograms is about 4.4 pounds. According to the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime, prices for meth sold in the United States can vary greatly, ranging from $6,500 to $15,000 per kilo, depending on purity, location and availability.
On Tuesday, METRICH and postal inspectors — assisted by the Richland County Sheriff’s Office and members of the countywide ASORT unit — conducted a joint operation and executed a search warrant at the rural address, about three miles southeast of the village of Lucas.
Radojcsics was arrested on a charge of possession of methamphetamine and incarcerated at the Richland County Jail.
Several firearms were also seized during the search warrant execution.
“Certain evidence was seized and further charges may be forwarded to the Richland County Prosecutor’s Office once the investigation is complete,” Mansfield police Lt. Steve Blust stated in a press release.
Blust, the METRICH commander, said the collaboration between federal law enforcement agencies and the METRICH Enforcement Unit “continues to have a positive impact in removing illegal drugs from coming into the Richland County communities.”
The METRICH Enforcement Unit encourages citizens to continue to be proactive by reporting suspected drug activity. Citizens can call the METRICH Crime Tip Hotline at 419-52-CRIME (419-522-7463), Task Force line at 419-755-9728, METRICH website www.metrich.com or the METRICH app.
About METRICH
METRICH is a 10-county decentralized task force in north central Ohio whose mission is to improve the quality of life for the citizens we serve by reducing the availability of illegal drugs and weapons through proactive enforcement efforts.
The success of METRICH is a tribute to the cooperation and support within the Law Enforcement Community in the METRICH region and to those citizens who have chosen to improve the quality of life in their communities by assisting METRICH in reporting suspicious activity and valuable information.