9 arrested in drug trafficking ring WATCH THE VIDEO

Nine area residents were arrested in Greenfield Wednesday morning during a drug bust conducted by the Highland County Sheriff's Office and the Greenfield Police Department following an investigation into organized crime and drug trafficking.

Highland County Sheriff Ron Ward called Wednesday's bust "just the tip of the iceberg," that would put "a significant dent" in drug trafficking in Highland County. 

"This is just the beginning," he said.

The arrests were made after a grand jury in Highland County Common Pleas Court handed down a 62-count indictment on nine individuals. There are a total of 153 indictments involving real estate, vehicles, cash and other assets connected to the alleged activity. The indictments were the result of several months of investigation by detectives with the HCSO, U.S. 23 Major Crimes Task Force, GPD, and the Clinton County Sheriff's Office into concerns of cocaine and heroin trafficking in Highland County and the surrounding area. 

Several search warrants were executed in several locations in the Greenfield area, including some private residences and the former Elliot Hotel.

Ward said the indictment relates to charges of engaging in a pattern of corrupt activity, as well as drug charges, regarding a drug ring that was allegedly transporting drugs from the Dayton area to Highland County and Wilmington, and particularly to the Greenfield area.

"The corrupt activity charges are the result of the individuals working together as a group to distribute illegal narcotics across the area," Ward said. "Search warrants were executed in Montgomery, Clinton and Highland counties involving this investigation. We're going to be trying to get these people in custody today and get them off the streets. It's a very large-scale investigation, and you want to hope you put a dent in the drug trafficking here in Highland County, but this is going to put a significant dent in the more serious drugs that we're seeing and hopefully cut off some of the supply that is coming into Highland County."

Ward said that the case involved organized crime and was highly complex and involved thousands of documents in piecing together the corrupt activities case.

"There was just a voluminous amount of documents, phone records, that not only have to be subpoenaed, then retrieved and looked at and combed over," Ward said. "I want to pay a special compliment to our detective division. This case, when it was sent to the prosecutor's office ... was about 7,000 pages of documents. When you do a corrupt activities case, you have to put all these people together and fit these pieces together, like a puzzle. It's basically an organized crime operation. Our detectives worked very hard on this case, they knew it was a large-scale case, and I just can't compliment the guys enough. They're the driving force behind this. (We have) ongoing efforts against the drug activity, all around Highland County, particularly in Greenfield, and are working with other agencies to make sure these people are held accountable for their actions and prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law."

Ward said that investigations into drug trafficking are ongoing, and additional charges and arrests are possible.  

"These are not the last arrests you will see as a result of this case. This is just the beginning. We're going to be going after the distributors of heroin and cocaine in Highland County all summer long," Ward said. "This is just the tip of the iceberg."

Those indicted included Rodger Cassell, on 57 counts, ranging from engaging in a pattern of corrupt activity, trafficking in drugs, possession of drugs, tampering with evidence, criminal tools and preparation for sale. Ward said that Cassell was arrested prior to Wednesday's bust, and that he is being held in Clinton County on a parole violation. 

Arrested were: 

• Melinda Steward, on an eight-count indictment including engaging in a pattern of corrupt activity, trafficking in drugs, possession of drugs, tampering with evidence, criminal tools and preparation for sale.

• Megan Butcher, on a six-count indictment including engaging in a pattern of corrupt activity, trafficking in drugs, possession of drugs, and tampering with evidence.

• Maudy Jackson, on a 24-count indictment, including engaging in a pattern of corrupt activity, trafficking in drugs, and possession of drugs. 

• Joseph Cowman, on a 13-count indictment, including engaging in a pattern of corrupt activity, trafficking in drugs, and possession of drugs. 

• Jamie Robinette, on a five-count indictment, including engaging in a pattern of corrupt activity, trafficking in drugs, and possession of drugs. '

• Zachary Bondurant, on a 13-count indictment, including engaging in a pattern of corrupt activity, trafficking in drugs, and possession of drugs. 

• Richard Rickman, on a 10-count indictment, including engaging in a pattern of corrupt activity, trafficking in drugs and possession of drugs.