‘Blue Light Special’ helps round up area drug dealers

As around two dozen law-enforcement agents spilled out of the meeting room at Harvest Ridge prior to the county’s effort to hand out 14 arrest warrants for those in Holmes County who are dealing drugs illegally, Sheriff Tim Zimmerly had a few words of importance before they went about their business.

“Be careful, stay vigilant and be alert,” Zimmerly told the officers who were about to embark on a roundup that eventually saw them arrest 11 of the 14 dealers on the afternoon of Thursday, Aug. 31.

The officers canvassed the county after a lengthy operation led by Holmes County Sheriff’s Office Sgt. Joe Mullet that began back in 2022.

The drug roundup, which Mullet titled “The Blue Light Special,” saw Holmes County join every other county in the state of Ohio in an effort to present roundups on their home turf. All of the roundups were being done over a two-day span. The official name of the statewide effort was “Operation Blue Light.”

Mullet said the process began with tips coming in about possible drug activity in various communities and included having people posing as purchasers, a process that took place over many months.

“We got in with people who were selling drugs, and it led to this larger group of people who are all connected in some shape or form,” Mullet said. “We collected a large amount of data and presented it to the grand jury two months ago and made the indictments. We have made multiple drug purchases from all but two of the offenders including one where a gun was pulled.”

The roundup day saw law-enforcement agents from Holmes County Sheriff’s Office, Millersburg Police and Law Enforcement Against Drugs officers unite to canvas the county to make the arrests. There were several teams of three to four members who went to each location to serve the arrest warrants.

According to Mullet, the county had done a similar effort a decade ago, and he said the main goal was to take out the major suppliers. He said hitting the dealers hard would be a deterrent to others who might be inclined to set up a dealership in Holmes County, as well as a warning to those who were buying from them there are eyes on the drug industry.

“It’s been a while, but we are excited to be able to do it again because it is incredibly valuable for our communities to get these drug dealers out of the picture,” Zimmerly said.

Mullet said the roundup and investigation wasn’t designed to go after drug users but instead to target drug dealers.

He said all of the charges the teams were presenting warrants for during the roundup were for F-2 and F-3 felonies, which are of a more serious nature.

Felonies of the second degree are violations that typically involve violence. The maximum fine for an F-2 is $15,000, and the sentencing guidelines are between two and eight years. Repeat violent offenders may receive up to an additional 10 years.

Felonies of the third degree are violations typically carrying nine to 36 months of imprisonment, in addition to a possible $10,000 fine.

Mullet said the seriousness of each offense comes down to the actual weight being sold.

A crew consisting of 17 members of the Holmes County Sheriff’s Office, four Millersburg Police members, three canines, and members of LEAD Drug Task Force of Holmes and Tuscarawas Counties met prior to the operation to hash out the details and make sure everyone was on the same page when it came to making the arrests.

“This is a very serious moment, and some bad things can happen,” Mullet said. “We want to make 100% sure that everyone knows exactly what needs to happen to ensure things go well.”

Things went as well as the officers could have hoped, considering it was hit and miss as to whether each individual would even be at home during the operation.

Mullet said while people might see Holmes County like a safe haven where these types of illegal drug activities are few and far between, there isn’t a county that can escape the ever-widening world of drug use.

“We have a problem here, just like everywhere else,” Mullet said. “None of us will deny that. Where there’s people, there’s drugs. That’s why it’s important to see this type of a team effort taking place statewide to get some of these dealers off the streets.”

While it may seem as though these types of drug busts are few and far between, much of the work being done to infiltrate the circles of those selling drugs takes a great deal of preparation, time and effort, so the ongoing work being done in the field doesn’t always get seen in the public, but the officers said they are hard at work in the drug community on a regular basis.

“The difficult part for people to understand is that it might seem like we aren’t combating drugs every day,” Holmes County Sheriff’s Office Lt. Tim Stryker said. “We are. These are long, drawn-out cases, and we need to make a solid case that will stand up, and it’s important to round up multiple people if possible. There’s a lot going on behind the scenes in privacy.”

All of the dealers taken into custody were transported to the Holmes County Jail, where they awaited an appointment with the judge and bond was set.

How each individual goes to trial and is sentenced will be up to the judges, but the officers had done their part in the roundup effort.

“This is about getting drugs out of our county and off our streets,” Zimmerly said. “This is a big deal for our county. Let’s hope this sends a message to others who are considering this type of illegal activity, and hopefully they will receive a serious penalty for their crimes that sends a strong message that Holmes County won’t tolerate this kind of activity.”

Anyone who suspects drug activity may call the Holmes County Sheriff’s Office at 330-674-1936.