WAVERLY, Ohio — All individuals, except for former Waverly Police Officer Mark Anglemyer, have been released from custody.
On June 5, agents with the Drug Enforcement Agency initiated multiple raids in Pike County following the indictment of Anglemyer and three of his associates for cocaine and anabolic steroid distribution.
The DEA says the raids and subsequent arrests have been part of an ongoing criminal investigation since 2022. Sources close to the situation claim Anglemyer is just one part of a much larger criminal enterprise spanning multiple counties in Ohio, Kentucky, as well as California.
Arrested this week were Heather Howell, Arin Sodaro, and Blake Mankin, all charged in connection with a drug trafficking operation.
According to the federal indictment obtained by the Guardian, Count one of the indictment alleges that between October 2020 and May 2024, former police officer Mark Anglemyer, along with associates Arin Sodaro, Heather Howell, and Blake Mankin, distributed cocaine and anabolic steroids throughout the region. Count 2 states that in March 2022, Anglemyer allegedly distributed anabolic steroids. Counts 3 and 4 allege that in July of the same year, Howell distributed anabolic steroids. Count 5 alleges that in November 2022, Sodaro laundered money by utilizing U.S. mail, sending the money from Ohio to California.
All four face charges of Conspiracy to Distribute and Possess with Intent to Distribute Cocaine and Anabolic Steroids. Anglemyer also faces charges of Possession with Intent to Distribute Anabolic Steroids, and Heather Howell faces the same charge. Anglemyer, Sodaro, and Howell all face charges of Conspiracy to Use a Communication Facility in Commission of a Drug Felony. Sodaro also faces charges of money laundering.
Anglemyer began his law enforcement career in 2005 as an auxiliary officer for the Waverly Police Department and the Piketon Police Department, according to the Ohio Peace Officer Training Academy records. He served in various roles, including part-time deputy with the Pike County Sheriff’s Office from 2006 to 2007, part-time police officer in Piketon from 2007 to 2011, auxiliary officer for the Oak Hill Police Department from 2011 to 2013, and part-time officer with the Waverly Police Department from 2013 to 2016.
After leaving law enforcement, Anglemyer ventured into the food service industry. He initially worked as a local food vendor before starting an Italian restaurant in Ashland, Kentucky, alongside two of his associates. The restaurant, Lupo Nero Italian Cuisine, has not yet opened and was still under construction at the time of Anglemyer’s arrest, according to social media posts.
Two female associates, Arin Sodaro and Heather Howell, were also arrested in connection with the DEA raids. Sodaro, who goes by Arin Auton on social media, serves as the Operations Manager/Coordinator for Lupo Nero Italian Cuisine. Her social media indicates she worked as a community health worker for the Community Action Committee of Pike County from 2021 to 2022 and served as a medic in the US Army from 2004 to 2012. Howell, known as Heather Burkitt on social media, is the chef for Anglemyer’s business. Her profile lists her as a former employment specialist for Scioto Trails Advancing Abilities Day program.