CIRCLEVILLE, Ohio — A Circleville woman faces two first-degree felony drug trafficking charges after Pickaway County sheriff’s investigators say a traffic stop turned up roughly 2 pounds of suspected methamphetamine, the culmination of a monthslong investigation that began with tips from the public.
Andrea D. Crago, 44, of Circleville, was stopped for a traffic violation July 28 on U.S. Route 23 South near Little Walnut Road, according to the Pickaway County Sheriff’s Office. During the stop, investigators recovered the suspected methamphetamine along with $868 in cash, the sheriff’s office said. Crago was taken to the Pickaway County Jail and charged with two counts of trafficking in drugs, both first-degree felonies. She is being held on a $100,000 cash or surety bond and is awaiting a preliminary hearing, according to the sheriff’s office.
Sheriff Matthew O. Hafey said the case began with citizen complaints and tips concerning drug trafficking in Circleville. Detectives with the South Central Ohio Major Crimes Unit conducted surveillance and collected evidence over an extended period before the traffic stop, according to the sheriff’s office.
The day after Crago’s arrest, investigators executed a search warrant at a residence on Turner Drive in Circleville, where additional evidence was seized, the sheriff’s office said. Rodney D. Crago, 48, was taken into custody during the search warrant on an outstanding child support warrant, according to the sheriff’s office.
Hafey credited the South Central Ohio Major Crimes Unit, the Lancaster Police Department, the Fairfield County Sheriff’s Office, the Ohio State Highway Patrol and the Circleville Police Department for their assistance with the investigation, and thanked Circleville Fire and EMS for helping during the search warrant.
Further charges are expected once the case is reviewed in its entirety by the Pickaway County Prosecutor’s Office and a Pickaway County grand jury, the sheriff’s office said.
The sheriff’s office is asking anyone with information about drug trafficking in the area to submit tips through its tip line at [email protected], its website or its mobile app.
Suspects are presumed innocent unless proven guilty in court.
The information contained in this story was obtained from the Pickaway County Sheriff’s Office.
