Major Crimes Task Force of Meigs and Gallia County Countinue to battle drug problem

GALLIPOLIS — Ohio Attorney General Mike DeWine and members of the Major Crimes Task Force of Meigs and Gallia County today announced that three people have been arrested as part of an investigation into a criminal enterprise accused of bringing cocaine and crack cocaine into Gallia County, Meigs County, and parts of West Virginia.

The arrests followed search warrants that were issued at five Gallia County locations this morning.

The investigation was conducted by the Major Crimes Task Force of Meigs and Gallia Counties, which is part of the Ohio Attorney General’s Ohio Organized Crime Investigations Commission. The task force is made up of authorities from the Meigs County Sheriff’s Office, Gallia County Sheriff’s Office, Gallipolis Police Department, Middleport Police Department, Gallia County Prosecutor’s Office, and Meigs County Prosecutor’s Office. Also assisting in the investigation were the Ohio Attorney General’s Bureau of Criminal Investigation, Ohio State Highway Patrol, and Washington County Sheriff’s Office.

The following individuals were arrested:

Antonio D. McIntosh, 36, of Gallipolis, was indicted on 13 counts, including charges of engaging in a pattern of corrupt activity, possession of cocaine and crack cocaine, and trafficking in cocaine and crack cocaine.
Stan D. Helms, 40, of Columbus, was indicted on 11 counts, including charges of engaging in a pattern of corrupt activity, possession of crack cocaine, and trafficking in crack cocaine.
Natasha L. Quesinberry, 23, of Washington Court House, was indicted on one count of trafficking in cocaine and one count of possession of cocaine.
Additional arrests are likely.

Investigators believe the enterprise brought cocaine and crack cocaine from central Ohio and distributed it to residents of Gallia County, Meigs County, and Mason, West Virginia.

“Drug abuse is a problem in every corner of the state,” Attorney General DeWine said. “Dismantling drug trafficking operations is part of the solution, and I commend the hard work of law enforcement in this case.”

“The Meigs-Gallia Major Crimes Task force has worked extremely hard on this long term case and I commend them for it. It is essential to Meigs County’s safety and welfare to rid, not only Meigs County, but the surrounding areas of drug dealers, as these same people pass these horrible, life threatening drugs on to our county’s residents. This is the very reason that we have formed a partnership through the Task Force,” said Meigs County Prosecutor Colleen Williams.

“The warrants that were served today were issued as the result of an extensive investigation into a major criminal enterprise that has been operating in our county since the fall of 2013. Our community has experienced the effects of the drug trafficking occurring at the locations we targeted today, including an increase in property crimes and violent incidents in the area. Today our goal was to attack this problem by targeting the drug dealers and disrupting the supply. Those who seek to profit by peddling drugs in our community need to understand that this investigation did not end today, but will continue until the so-called ‘pool hall’ is out of business for good,” said Gallia County Prosecuting Attorney Jeff Adkins.

“The results of today’s search warrants and arrests are from a lengthy investigation, hard work and cooperation of local enforcement officers and the Gallia-Meigs Major Crimes Task Force,” said Gallipolis City Chief of Police Jeff Boyer.

“These cases are the result of extensive, lengthy investigations conducted by Task Force Agents and show the dedication needed to combat the drug problem in our communities. The member agencies of the Gallia/Meigs Major Crimes Task Force along with OOCIC and the Attorney General’s Office are committed to this continual battle in order to make our communities safer,” said Middleport Chief of Police Bruce Swift.

“Today’s arrest and search is going to make Gallia County a safer place. Based on the investigation that was conducted, these locations and suspects were involved in not only drug trafficking but also offenses related to thefts and stolen property. I’m proud of the work our team has done and thank the public for the input to help bring these suspects to justice,” said Gallia County Sheriff Joe Browning.

“This was a long term investigation that took many man hours from the OOCIC task force along with other local departments; these early morning raids will definitely put a damper on drugs coming into SE Ohio and Western West Virginia. It was a job well done by all law enforcement officials,” said Meigs County Sheriff Keith Wood.

Established in 1986, the Ohio Organized Crime Investigations Commission (OOCIC) assists local law enforcement agencies in combating organized crime and corrupt activities. The Commission is composed of members of the law enforcement community and is chaired by the Ohio Attorney General.