CINCINNATI — Over 80 pounds of methamphetamine was seized by detectives with the Regional Enforcement Narcotics Unit after alleged traffickers were caught, according to a press release from the Hamilton County Sheriff's Office.
The sheriff's office said that roughly 81 pounds of the drug were seized on June 18; the meth came to Hamilton County from a drug trafficking organization in California.
Officers learned through their investigation that members of the California organization were using Cincinnati-area short-term rental properties to facilitate shipments of large quantities of meth and other illegal drugs intended for distribution in Hamilton County, according to the press release.
Former U.S. Prosecutor for the Southern District of Ohio Dominic Gerace said short-term rentals are ripe for abuse by drug traffickers.
"It gives you a lot of anonymity," Gercae said. "You don't own the property. You can't necessarily be tied to it if you cover your tracks well and it's easy to move from spot to spot."
Gerace warned property owners to be wary of locals renting properties within their own or near their neighborhood, immediate bookings, and odd payment types like cards that don't match the renter to avoid having their home used in a drug trafficking ring.
Hamilton County Commissioner Denise Driehaus said the bust was a huge part of a multi-prong approach to solving the region's drug addiction issues.
"In the end, we're trying to get people into treatment and recovery," she said.
The Commissioner said there wouldn't be a national funnel to Southern Ohio if there wasn't a demand, and lessening demand requires more than law enforcement.
"It's prevention, treatment, law enforcement, public health, faith community, hospitals, all coming together to say 'how do we solve this?'"
Driehaus said anyone suffering from addiction can reach out to the Hamilton County Addiction Response Coalition for evaluation and a tailored connection to assistance they need.
Investigators arrested 49-year-old Reginald Newton, from California, and charged him with possession of drugs and trafficking in drugs.
"It should be noted that this is the largest seizure of methamphetamine by the Regional Enforcement Narcotics Unit to date," reads the press release. "The total amount of meth seized by RENU agents in 2024 has accumulated to approximately 122 pounds."
RENU is a joint task force comprised of officers from the Hamilton County Sheriff's Office, Green Township Police Department and Cheviot Police Department.
Watch Live:
