WILMINGTON — A Blanchester area man has been indicted on four counts of aggravated trafficking in drugs and two counts of aggravated possession of drugs.
A Clinton County grand jury returned the indictment against Maxwell D. Sill, 29, of Blanchester.
All six charges date to May 1, 2020. That day Sill allegedly was trafficking in fentanyl and methamphetamine. The two charges of drug possession allegedly involve fentanyl and meth, too.
Fentanyl is a powerful synthetic opioid that is similar to morphine, but is 50 to 100 times more potent, according to the National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA).
Synthetic opioids, including fentanyl, are now the most common drugs involved in drug overdose deaths in the United States, the NIDA states.
At the same grand jury session, which was the only one held in Clinton County in September, four men were each indicted on a third-degree felony charge of failing to comply with an order or signal of a police officer.
In each instance, the defendant allegedly did not bring his motor vehicle to a stop after the officer’s order, and in each instance, the indictment states the operation of the vehicle caused substantial risk of serious physical harm to persons or property.
The four men are: Patrick J. Butts, 43, of Dayton (the incident reportedly occurring on Aug. 22); Brent C. Kiphart, 46, of Wilmington (Sept. 3); Kenneth A. Price Jr., 31, of Sabina (Sept. 3); and Michael J. Shorten, 37, of Wilmington (Aug. 20).
Below are the names, ages and residences of other individuals indicted in September by the local grand jury, plus the indictment charge or charges. All of the alleged criminal activity reportedly occurred in Clinton County.
• Paul K. Ludlum, 62 of the Blanchester area, was indicted on two counts of trafficking in marijuana, one count of illegal cultivation of marijuana, and one count of possessing marijuana.
• Douglas M. Valentine, 41 of the Wilmington area, was indicted on two counts of trafficking in marijuana, and one count of possessing marijuana.
• Robert D. Hudson Jr., 34 of the Clarksville area, was indicted on two counts of aggravated possession of drugs, one count of trafficking in marijuana, and one count of possessing marijuana.
• Gad G. Villafranco, 30 of Cleveland, was indicted on one count of felonious assault, and one count of operating a motor vehicle under the influence of drugs or alcohol.
• Charles Fribough (aka Charles Fribourg), 40 of Batavia, was indicted on one count of abduction, and one count of domestic violence.
• Scott D. Testerman, 43 of Cincinnati, was indicted on a charge of felonious assault.
• Cameron A. Quigley, 25 of Wilmington, was indicted on a charge of possessing cocaine.
• Robbie L. McKinnon, 47 of Hillsboro, was indicted on a count of possessing a fentanyl-related compound.
• Cameron C. Bell, 21 of Greenfield, was indicted on one count of breaking and entering, and one count of attempted grand theft of a motor vehicle.
• Brooke L. Bailey, 30 of the Leesburg area, was indicted on one count of grand theft of a motor vehicle, and one count of vandalism.
• Jimmy R. Hamm Jr., 31 of the Midland area, was indicted on two counts of receiving stolen property.
• Bobby L. Gray, 68 of Blanchester, was indicted on one charge of trespassing in a habitation.
• Christopher Michael Miller, 33 of Martinsville, was indicted on one count of aggravated possession of drugs, and one count of receiving stolen property.
• Wayne Lee Sturgill, 30 of Sabina, was indicted on one count of aggravated possession of drugs.
Reach Gary Huffenberger at 937-556-5768.
