Investigators with the Geauga County Prosecutor’s Office raided an Auburn Township home Thursday afternoon and came away with cash, narcotics, drug paraphernalia, criminal tools and two arrests.
With the assistance of Geauga County Sheriff’s Office narcotics detectives and deputies, the prosecutor’s office executed a search at 17855 Bridge Creek Trail and apprehended 21-year-old John Goggins — who reportedly told investigators he sells to every Kenston High School kid — on an arrest warrant.
Two other men were detained, including Christopher Walker, 25, 13631 W. Center St., Burton, who was arrested on an outstanding warrant in Geauga County. The third individual, a 19-year-old Middlefield man, subsequently was released.
Goggins lives at the home with his father, Barteaux Goggins, who is an over-the-road truck driver and frequently out of town, according to neighbors.
As law enforcement raced up the driveway and onto the front lawn, the three men were sitting outside on the front porch. They immediately ran into the house with detectives and prosecutor’s office investigators in pursuit.
Goggins was grabbed in the kitchen and Walker, who reportedly has an injured leg, surrendered in the foyer. The Middlefield man was pursued upstairs and caught trying to exit a second floor bathroom window.
Goggins was indicted last November on charges of drug trafficking and possession of criminal tools. The case is pending before Geauga County Common Pleas Court Judge Forrest Burt.
Goggins entered a plea of not guilty and was released Dec. 13 on a personal recognizance bond.
His case was scheduled for an intervention in lieu of conviction hearing on June 10.
“After that time, we received additional information that he was continuing to traffic drugs and we set up some controlled drug buys,” said Geauga County Prosecutor Jim Flaiz.
A prosecutor’s investigator made two different controlled buys, one in April and one in May, he said.
“We’ve also had his house under surveillance. Our surveillance has shown a lot of short-term traffic, a lot of people in and out,” Flaiz said. “His main clientele seems to be late teens, early 20s, including many juveniles that are coming and going from the home.”
He also said his office has acquired other evidence that Goggins has been dealing drugs out of his house.
Based on the evidence and information, Flaiz said his office secured an arrest warrant for Goggins as well as a search warrant of the residence from Chardon Municipal Court Judge Terri Stupica.
Flaiz said Goggins was arrested in November for selling LSD and his office also has made marijuana buys at the residence.
“We also have information that he is selling acid and Molly, which is a synthetic drug that’s, unfortunately, become pretty popular among high school students and people in their early 20s,” he added.
Flaiz said drug activity at the home was “highest” when Goggins’ father was absent from the home.
After the warrants were secured, prosecutor’s office investigator Karen Sweet prepared an operational plan and reviewed it with the other law enforcement personnel. They then all met at a nearby staging area before proceeding to Goggins’ home and executing the warrants, Flaiz explained.
Flaiz and two of his assistant prosecutors were on scene to observe and answer legal questions.
“For significant search warrants, my office always makes an assistant prosecutor available,” he added.
Flaiz said Friday morning he will file a nuisance complaint regarding the property.
“Given the amount of drug dealing that has been occurring out of the home … we’re going to seek an order from the court to board up the home,” the prosecutor said.
Last April, the prosecutor’s office executed a similar raid of a Caves Road home in Chester Township.
Chester Township mother Constance Thomas was arrested in that raid and charged with felonious drug possession, including heroin and cocaine.
“It’s similar in the sense that a lot of the clientele is the same,” Flaiz said, explaining the dealer was selling to high schools kids and people in their early 20s.
The cases are different, however, in that Goggins is 21 and Thomas was in her mid 50s.
This is a developing story that will be updated as additional information becomes available.