Drug offenders, probation violator plead guilty

Published 10:11 am Friday, November 27, 2009

Four men arrested in a drug roundup in October pleaded guilty Wednesday in Lawrence County Common Pleas Court.

Larry E. Blankenship, 30, of 46 Private Drive 9992, South Point, pleaded guilty to charges of aggravated trafficking in drugs and trafficking in drugs.

Judge D. Scott Bowling sentenced him to five years in prison and fined him $12,500. Blankenship must surrender his driver’s license for five years.

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Robert L. Esque, Jr., 22, of 52 Township Road 338, Ironton, pleaded guilty to charges of trafficking in drugs and aggravated trafficking in drugs.

Bowling sentenced him as well to five years in prison. Like Blankenship, Esque must also pay a $12,500 fine and surrender his driver’s license five years.

Frank Zeigler, 48, of 1216 S. Fifth St., Ironton, pleaded guilty to two indictments, both alleging drug peddling.

Bowling also sentenced him to five years in prison, fined him $23,750 and revoked his driver’s license for five years.

Raymond E. Brown, 51, of 713 Mill St., Ironton, pleaded guilty to charges of trafficking in drugs and aggravated trafficking in drugs.

Judge Charles Cooper sentenced him to four years community control sanctions under intensive supervised probation (CCS/ISP) and ordered him to successfully complete a rehabilitation program at the STAR Community Justice Center.

Brown was also fined $1,250 and ordered to surrender his driver’s license for six months.

Blankenship, Esque, Brown, and Zeigler were among more than 20 people arrested in October in a drug sweep.