MANSFIELD — A 52-year-old man was charged with drug trafficking and cocaine possession on Tuesday after a two-month investigation by the METRICH Enforcement Unit.
Bond was set at $750,000 cash on Wednesday morning in Mansfield Municipal Court for Charles R. Feagin, charged with two first-degree felony drug counts after police say he was found in possession of 22 ounces of suspected cocaine with an estimated street value between $17,600 and $26,400.
Defense attorney Jennifer Harmon was appointed to represent Feagin. A preliminary pre-trial is scheduled Aug. 6.
Mansfield police Lt. Steve Blust said the investigation into Feagin led to his car being stopped by police and the Richland County Sheriff’s Office on Tuesday in the area of Dawson Avenue and Maple Street.
Blust said Feagin was then arrested after an MPD K-9 team — officer Jacob Oblak and his dog, Lucas — “alerted” on his vehicle.
Blust said officers searched the vehicle and found five ounces of suspected powder cocaine.
“METRICH detectives then executed a search warrant with the assistance of the Richland County Sheriff’s Office and the Bellville Police Department at Mr. Feagin’s hotel room at 880 State Route 97 West in Bellville,” Blust said.
That search of a room at the Days Inn by Wyndham hotel resulted in the seizure of 17 additional ounces of powder cocaine, according to Blust.
The cocaine was placed into plastic baggies for sale, authorities said.
METRICH Det. Justin Ady, a member of the RCSO, said the arrest was “a direct result of cooperation amongst partner law enforcement agencies and tips received from the community.”
Blust said the multi-county drug task force is seeing a resurgence of cocaine.
“We are seeing more cocaine coming back into the area,” Blust said. “I am not sure why at this point. But we are seeing it.
“The METRICH Enforcement Unit will continue to seek those that pollute our streets
with narcotics and I encourage all citizens to continue reporting suspected
drug activity,” he said.
Citizens can call the METRICH crime tip hotline at 419-52-CRIME (419-522-7463) or
the Task Force line at 419-755-9728 or by using the METRICH app.
About the METRICH Enforcement Unit
METRICH is a 10-county decentralized task force in North Central Ohio whose mission is to improve the quality of life for the citizens 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.
