COLUMBUS, Ohio – A Fairfield County company and its employees are accused of selling illicit drugs to customers in Ohio and across the country.
Eight people are facing charges for their role in the multi-million-dollar drug ring operating out of two warehouses fronted by a smoke-shop equipment wholesaler, Ohio Attorney General Mike DeWine said Thursday.
David G. Surratt Jr., 37, of Canal Winchester — owner of Oncore Wholesale -– and seven of his employees were indicted by a Fairfield County Grand Jury on Jan. 17 charges of engaging in a pattern of corrupt activity, trademark counterfeiting, and various drug-related charges.
The following Oncore Wholesale employees were also indicted on a conspiracy charge:
Sarah Surratt, 32, of Canal Winchester
Adam Haase, 38, of Columbus
Shawn Lewis, 38, of Columbus
David Highben, 40, of Columbus
Amanda Parsons, 25, of Lancaster
Kevin Wilt, 27, of Canal Winchester
Jason Kibler, 36, of Reynoldsburg
After searching the company’s warehouse in Fairfield County, investigators found large amounts of substances that aren’t typical street drugs but mimic effects of other hazardous drugs. Authorities say the substances are Kratom, Hawaiian Baby Woodrose seeds and nitrous oxide.
“This is a whole new side to the drug trade, and we want to stop these drugs from coming into our communities before they become a more widespread problem,” said Fairfield-Hocking Major Crimes Task Force commander Eric Brown.
DeWine says investigators also found beer cans, energy drinks and other products that were modified with hidden compartments and sold to conceal the illegal products.
Authorities determined that the business made more than $2 million from the illegal sales in 2011, 2012 and 2013.
Additional charges could be filed because, while serving an arrest warrant on David Surratt this week, investigators found a large amount of Kratom and counterfeit products in second warehouse on Groveport Road in Franklin County, DeWine said.
The group had been under investigation by the task force, the Bureau of Criminal Investigation and the state Board of Pharmacy since last summer, when police learned a Violet Township warehouse was a front to deal massive quantities of synthetic drugs, DeWine said.
Authorities uncovered a large amount of Kratom, Hawaiian Baby Woodrose seeds, and nitrous oxide after serving a search warrant at the company’s warehouse on Busey Road in Fairfield County in July. They were being sold by the company over the internet, DeWine said.
The Hawaiian Baby Woodrose seed is a Schedule III drug, nitrous oxide is often abused as an inhalant and Kratom is an herbal drug grown in southeast Asia, which has no legitimate medical use and has not been approved by the Food and Drug Administration, DeWine said. Lacking FDA approval, it is illegal to manufacture, possess or sell for human consumption.