DAILY COURT REPORTER A Newspaper of General Circulation within The Miami Valley Established 1917 Devoted to General, Political, Religious, Social, Business & Legal Events of the Day Vol.150-No. 5 Fax 419-470-8602 DAYTON, OHIO FRIDAY, JANUARY 31, 2020 (031 ) Phone 937-222-6000 1 dollar Periodicals 5 charged in $2.8 million Dark Web drug Postage Paid Toledo, OH trafficking, money laundering conspiracy In our editions... Court Calendars A federal grand jury has indicted Named in the indictment are: by the Department of Justice’s multi- Department of Homeland Security, Supreme Court of Ohio five individuals alleged to be members • Khlari Sirotkin, 36, of agency Special Operations Division Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms Court of Appeals of one of the most prolific online drug Colorado (SOD), including assigned attorneys and Explosives, Department of Justice Bankruptcies trafficking organizations in the United • Kelly Stephens, 32, of from the Narcotic and Dangerous Drug and Financial Crimes Enforcement Common Pleas Court New Suits, Judges Orders States. The indictment was returned Colorado Section. Network. Current Business and unsealed in Cincinnati. • Sean Deaver, 36, of Ne- This operation was facilitated The narcotics conspiracy in this Domestic Relations Court According to the 21-count in- vada in conjunction with the Joint Crimi- case is punishable by 10 years up to New Suits (Divorces) dictment, since 2013, co-conspirators • Abby Jones, 37, of Nevada nal Opioid and Darknet Enforcement life in prison. The money laundering Dissolutions of Marriage used several Dark Web marketplace • Sasha Sirotkin, 32, of Cali- (JCODE) team. JCODE is a FBI-led conspiracy is punishable by up to 20 Judges Orders accounts and encrypted messaging fornia. initiative that brings together agents, years in prison. Individual counts of Current Business apps in order to sell illegal drugs Each is charged in all 21 counts. analysts and professional staff to distributing and attempting to distribute Probate Court Wills & Estates online. Each of the five defendants was ar- disrupt the sale of drugs, especially fentanyl or heroin also carry potential Guardianships & Trusteeships The defendants allegedly spe- rested in December and has appeared fentanyl and other opioids, on the maximum penalties of 20 years in Marriage Licenses cialized in the manufacturing and in federal court in Cincinnati. internet and dismantle criminal enter- prison. Selling counterfeit drugs is Dayton Municipal Court distribution of more than one million The investigation was coordi- prises that facilitate this trafficking. punishable by up to 10 years in prison. New Suits fentanyl-laced counterfeit pills and nated out of the Cincinnati Field Office The JCODE team consists of the fol- Congress sets minimum and maximum Appearance Calls laundered approximately $2.8 million of the FBI and is part of an Organized lowing entities: the Federal Bureau statutory sentences. Sentencing of Judges Orders over the course of the conspiracy. Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force of Investigation, Drug Enforcement defendants will be determined by the Current Business The pressed fentanyl pills, along with (OCDETF) joint investigation con- Administration, U.S. Postal Inspec- Court based on the advisory sentencing Vandalia Municipal Court New Suits heroin, methamphetamine and cocaine, ducted by the Southern Ohio Digitized tion Service, Department of Defense, guidelines and other statutory factors. Hearings were shipped to the Southern District Organized Crime Group. Essential Defense Intelligence Agency, U.S. Recorder’s Office of Ohio and throughout the country. support and coordination was provided Customs and Border Protection, US (See CONSPIRACY page 2) Real Estate Transfers Vendor’s Licenses Legal Notices Trees to Textbooks invests $1.5 Abstracts Tax credit for low-income families to Sheriff Sale Results Building Permits million in schools, communities Liens counter pay-to-play policies proposed Invitations to Bid Fourteen rural Ohio school dis- (These listed items appear on a regular tricts and their corresponding counties KEITH ARNOLD students from families in-need access HB 375 would apply to sports basis in the Daily Court Reporter but not necessarily every day.) and townships will share more than Daily Reporter Staff Writer to activities that can help foster our next of all kinds and include a broad range $1.5 million from the sale of timber generation of athletes and leaders.” of extracurricular activities, such as from Ohio’s state forests, according to A Canal Winchester lawmaker The measure would authorize drama groups, band, debate clubs Calendar of Events the Ohio Department of Natural Re- invoked the name of Ohio sports a refundable income tax credit for an and many others sponsored by the sources (ODNR) Division of Forestry. royalty during sponsor testimony of a extracurricular activity fee paid by school should they charge a partici- FEBRUARY 3 “Investing in education is es- FLYING GHILLIES SCOTTISH DANCERS plan aimed at making sure poor Ohio or on behalf of a low-income public pation fee. 7:30 pm - 9:30 pm sential for our state,” said Gov. Mike families can afford the common pay- school student. “The idea for this legislation Mangan Banquet Center DeWine. “Trees to Textbooks not only to-play policies at most public schools A small reprieve, Brown said, came to me from a constituent who FEBRUARY 7 supports sound forest management, but these days. for qualifying families - about 61,800, wants her children to be able to par- helps our schools prepare Ohio students ZOOM AROUND THE ROOM “I am bringing forth this legisla- according to estimates by the Ohio ticipate in sports, but struggles might- 10 am - 11 am for the future.” tion because I do not believe that a fam- Legislative Service Commission with ily to pay so-called pay-to-participate Vandalia Recreation Center Through the ODNR Division of ily’s income level should be a barrier to data provided by the Ohio High School or pay-to-play fees that have become Forestry’s Trees to Textbooks program, FEBRUARY 11 the next Jesse Owens, the next LeBron Athletic Association. common in public schools,” Brown ADULT NATURE WALK a percentage of the revenue generated James, the next Archie Griffin, or Families within 175 percent of continued. “I believe that we can all 9 am - 11 am from state forest management activ- Simone Biles,” Democratic Rep. the Federal Poverty Guidelines would agree, school sports and other extra- Englewood MetroPark ity goes to the county, township and Richard Brown told fellow members be eligible to claim one activity fee per curricular activities encourage physical school district in which the activity FEBRUARY 14 of the Ohio House of Representatives child per year as a refundable tax credit. fitness, team building, and many other MANDOLIN BRIDGE BAND took place. seated for the Ways and Means Com- The Federal Poverty Line at the positive skills and social behaviors for 7 pm - 11 pm “The future of conservation mittee. “Our Ohio-born athletes bring time of the bill’s introduction last fall our state’s children. American Czechoslovakian Club depends on education,” said ODNR pride and publicity to our state, and I was $25,750, the equivalent of $45,062 FEBRUARY 18 Director Mary Mertz. “ODNR is proud believe that House Bill 375 can offer for a family of four. (See CREDIT page 2) ICE SKATING to support Ohio’s schools and their 2:30 pm - 5 pm students.” Riverscape MetroPark The ODNR Division of Forestry State’s list of historic century-old FEBRUARY 21 - 23 began distributing timber revenues to ROBERTS CENTRE RV SHOW counties and townships in the early family farms grows by 26 percent Call for times 1980s. Since the Trees to Textbooks Roberts Centre program started in 1999, more than KEITH ARNOLD “In 26 years, we’ve seen this “I am the fourth generation to FEBRUARY 26 $32 million has been shared with Ohio Daily Reporter Staff Writer program grow from eight recipients grow up at my family’s homestead in CARTOONING FOR KIDS school districts and local governments. 5:30 pm - 7 pm in its inaugural year to nearly 1,800 Danbury Township near Lakeside on Rosewood Arts Centre The ODNR Division of Forestry The Ohio Department of Agricul- registered farms today,” said program the Marblehead Peninsula where my is responsible for the care of more than ture’s Historic Family Farms Program Administrator Erin Dillon. “The level father and his father lived and farmed If you would like to publish an event in this 200,000 acres of state forests. State for- registered 975 historic farms between of enthusiasm from farm families re- the land,” said Mary Ahrens Kuehn, calendar, please contact (937) 222-6000. estry experts manage these woodlands 2010 and 2019 - a 26 percent increase. ceiving their historic designations is a Sesquicentennial Historic Family for overall health and diversity, soil and By comparison, 749 farms were indisputable. Farmowner. “I grewup with stories water conservation, improved wildlife registered during the program’s first 16 “The successes of the Historic of farm life, all working together in habitat and a variety of recreational VISIT years, ag officials said. Family Farms Program can be solely the fields and dairy barn. We are very OUR WEB SITE opportunities. Selected trees or areas of The top registering counties in attributed to families who proudly grateful to have this opportunity as www.DailyCourt.com woodland are harvested through a com- the last decade were: Putnam County continue their farming heritage - it’s landowners and treasure our Historic Sheriff Sales, Legal petitive bid process, which includes with 122 farms, Mercer County with our duty and honor to acknowledge Family Farm sign.” Data Bankruptcies, etc. requirements for sound management 65 farms and Hancock County with that perseverance.” There are now more than 1,700 practices. All work is conducted by 33 farms.