Two drug busts have removed a large quantity of crack cocaine from the streets of Ironton.

Tuesday, February 05, 2002

Two drug busts have removed a large quantity of crack cocaine from the streets of Ironton.

Ironton Police Department detective Capt. Chris Bowman said city police officers arrested two area men on Jan. 19 who had a "large quantity" of crack cocaine in their possession. Bowman said police officers stopped to assist a blue and silver van at about 11 p.m. on Jan. 19. Police became suspicious when the driver, Emory J. Markle, 21, of Ironton, switched places with his passenger, Tico A. Woods, 21, of Columbus.

Upon investigation, Bowman said, police discovered Woods had a large amount of money and crack-cocaine and marijuana in the van. Woods also gave police a fictitious name. Police later discovered his true identity and that he had a parole violation warrant from Columbus.

Markle was charged with a minor misdemeanor possession of drugs, a third-degree misdemeanor possession of drugs and a third-degree felony possession of drugs.

In addition to the Columbus warrant, Woods was charged with a third-degree felony possession of drugs, and a minor misdemeanor possession of drugs.

On Sunday, police also arrested Raymond McConnell after police received a tip from a city resident. Douglas Menshouse called the police department Saturday night to report his vehicle missing. IPD officers responded and found McConnell, 43, inside the vehicle, yelling obscenities and causing a disturbance.

He was arrested for disorderly conduct. Police found a concealed .25-caliber pistol on McConnell, as well as a "large amount" of crack, marijuana and diazepam, which is the generic name for the brand-name drug Valium, or T-Quil.

McConnell was charged with a second-degree felony aggravated trafficking in drugs, a third-degree misdemeanor possession of drugs, a minor misdemeanor possession of drugs and a fourth-degree felony carrying a concealed weapon.

Crack is the street name given to cocaine processed from cocaine hydrochloride into a ready-to-use, free-base form for smoking. Crack is easier to manufacture than the more volatile method of processing cocaine, using ether.

Crack cocaine is processed with either ammonia or sodium bicarbonate, baking soda and water and heated to remove the hydrochloride. This produces a form of cocaine that can be smoked. The term "crack" refers to the crackling sound heard when the mixture is heated, presumably from the sodium bicarbonate. On the street, crack, or "rock," is sold in small, inexpensive dosage units. The U.S. Drug Enforcement agency reports that smoking this form of the drug delivers large quantities of cocaine to the lungs, producing effects comparable to intravenous injection. These effects are felt almost immediately after smoking, are very intense, but for a short time.

Bowman said investigations continue on all cases and all three men are housed in the Lawrence County Jail.

Bowman said the Lawrence County Drug Task Force assisted in the cases, in an effort to "eliminate drugs in our city and county."

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