Paraphernalia found in car outside jail
A Rocky River man and two of his friends face narcotic charges after a canine search in the parking lot of Warren County Jail reportedly yielded drug paraphernalia inside the vehicle in which they arrived.
The paraphernalia charges were the least of the worries for Rex Alan Martin, 35, as hours later lawmen raided his Rocky River home, finding an alleged meth lab which could lead to federal charges against the suspect.
According to Sheriff Jackie Matheny, Martin arrived at the jail Monday to turn himself in on unrelated assault charges. Matheny said officers became suspicious of Martin and his friends, Christopher A. McCoy, 29, and Larry Trent Martin, 33, and conducted a canine search of the vehicle in which they arrived. Officers have a sign posted at the entrance to the jail parking lot, warning all motorists that any vehicle entering the lot is subject to search.
The search netted items of drug paraphernalia, leading to charges against the three. The find caused officers to investigate deeper since they had earlier received information Martin was involved in meth trafficking. Monday night lawmen raided Martin’s home.
“We found a whole bunch of items and it was a pretty big lick,” Matheny said. “We found tubing and numerous containers with layered liquids and what is believed to be ephedrine.”
Given the amount of liquids found at the house, District Attorney General Dale Potter said his office may consider turning the case over to federal authorities for prosecution. Federal cases tend to carry much longer jail sentences than do state cases.