One Chesapeake man and his partner, a Huntington, W.

Friday, April 07, 2000

One Chesapeake man and his partner, a Huntington, W.Va., resident, await arraignment on drug-related charges while three other Huntington residents withheld pleas on felony drug charges today in Ironton Municipal Court.

At about 5:30 p.m. Thursday, Lawrence County Sheriff’s Department deputies executed a search warrant in Chesapeake after an undercover operation led to purchases of illegal narcotics, chief deputy Jim Cochran said.

Anthony L. Ingle, 10857 1/2 County Road 1, Chesapeake, and Ronald A. Messinger, 2119 Adams Ave., Huntington, were arrested when deputies purchased miscellaneous prescription medications from them, Cochran said.

"This is part of an undercover drug operation that has been ongoing since November," Cochran said. "Both men will be charged with multiple counts of trafficking in drugs."

Among drugs recovered at the scene was a considerable amount of methadone, which is synthetic heroine, Cochran said. Other recovered drugs included Valium and Xanax, a highly addictive depressant.

In related news, the Lawrence County Drug Task Force in cooperation with the Ironton Police Department and Prosecutor’s Office recently arrested three Huntington, W.Va., residents on drug-related charges.

Michael E. Johnson, 26, of 611 11th St. W. Huntington, W.Va., and Todd W. Handley, 35, 1067 Adams Ave., Huntington, were charged with illegal processing of drug documents, a fifth-degree felony. Pamela M. Baker, 42, 1904 Rear Adams Ave., Huntington, was charged with illegal processing of drug documents, a fifth-degree felony; and possession of a schedule III controlled substance, Ironton Police Department Detective Capt. Chris Bowman said.

At Thursday’s arraignment in Ironton Municipal Court, all were appointed attorneys and bond was set at $10,000 each, a municipal court spokesperson said.

They are due back in court April 13 to either sign a waiver to transfer their case to Lawrence County Common Pleas Court or have a preliminary hearing at the municipal level.

Johnson and Mrs. Baker posted bond Thursday. Handley remains in the Lawrence County Jail today, the spokesperson said.