Frank Lewis

PDT Staff Writer

Portsmouth Police officers were kept busy over the weekend, beginning on Friday, making arrests for illegal drug activity.

A Portsmouth man was arrested on drug charges around 6:15 p.m. Friday. Thomas A. Riddle, 34, of 521 Boundary Street, faces charges of drug paraphernalia, possession of drugs Schedule I or II substance, and possession of drugs.

Portsmouth police had been alerted of a previous call involving a black Mustang. In that call, someone had been reported to have made a threat with a gun in the east end of Portsmouth.

Officers located a black Mustang in the 1900 block of Kendall Avenue where they approached two subjects sitting in the car. One of the subjects told officers the car belonged to his girlfriend, and when asked which one had a gun, the two told police neither of them had a gun.

Dispatch ran Riddle’s name through the computer and found out he had a warrant through the Scioto County Sheriff’s Office. During a search, officers found an Altoids tin with a plastic bag containing two 15 milligram Morphine pills, a bag of white powdery substance, that field tested positive for methamphetamine, a pink blackhead remover with white residue on both ends, a purple straw with white powder on both ends and a razor blade.

The other person in the car was not arrested.

On Saturday, one man was arrested and another received a summons, following an investigation by Portsmouth police. Dominique L. Crayton, 26, of 3640 1/2 Flo Morgan Road in Portsmouth, is charged with possession of drugs - heroin, and criminal trespassing; Tyrone Greene, 49, of 2417 17th St., Apartment G, (Wayne Hills) Portsmouth, has received a summons for permitting drug abuse.

Officers responded to the 17th Street address in reference to drug activity. Officers made contact with Green, who gave consent to have the apartment searched. Meanwhile, officers found Crayton sitting in the living room. A check revealed Crayton was banned from Portsmouth Metropolitan Housing Authority property, so he was arrested for criminal trespassing. When narcotics detective Steve Timberlake searched Crayton he found $239 cash, and a small baggy with a tan powder in Crayton’s pockets. Crayton reportedly told Timberlake the substance was heroin, but denied that it was his, telling officers the pants he was wearing were not his.

When Crayton was asked whose pants he was wearing, he reportedly responded, “I can’t say.” He was then transported to the Portsmouth Police Department where he was processed and then taken to the Scioto County Jail. At the jail, it was discovered that the Scioto County Sheriff’s Office had an indictment against Crayton for dangerous drugs. Officers found drug paraphernalia, crack cocaine and heroin residue in the apartment and issued a summons to Greene.

Frank Lewis may be reached at 740-353-3101, ext. 232, or at flewis@heartlandpublications.com.