Frank Lewis
PDT Staff Writer
A federal grand jury has charged a Portsmouth woman, Peggy Chaffin, also known as Peggy Shubert, 33, of 1734 Fifth St., and five other people with conspiring to transport heroin from Cincinnati to Portsmouth and distribute it from Chaffin’s residence. Five of the six have been arrested and ordered held without bond until trial. The sixth is a fugitive.
Carter M. Stewart, United States Attorney for the Southern District of Ohio, Edward J. Hanko, Special Agent in Charge, Federal Bureau of Investigation, Cincinnati Office (FBI), Scioto County Sheriff Marty Donini and Portsmouth Police Captain Lynn Brewer announced the indictment unsealed following the defendants’ bond hearings on Wednesday.
Named in the indictment in addition to Chaffin, are Shakira A. Walker, also known as “Magic”; Antonio Spikes, also known as “T.O.”; Desmond Jenkins, also known as “Sonny”; Rakeem Blair, also known as “Skeems,” and Michael Crawford, also known as “Bags,” all of Cincinnati.
Task force members arrested five of the defendants in Portsmouth on Dec. 3 and 4. Rakeem Blair remains a fugitive. Each defendant is charged with one count of conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute heroin and one count of distribution of more than 100 grams of heroin. Those crimes are each punishable by at least five years and up to 40 years in prison. All six are also charged with one count of operating a drug premises, which is punishable by up to 20 years in prison.
The case was presented to the grand jury by Assistant United States Attorney Tim Oakley, following the five-month investigation by the FBI task force in Portsmouth.
The indictment charges that beginning approximately Aug. 15, 2012, and continuing up to an including the date of the indictment, the six, along with others known and unknown to the grand jury, “did knowingly, willfully, intentionally, and unlawfully combine, conspire, confederate, and agree, and have a tacit understanding with each other, to commit offenses against the United States.”
The indictment says the defendants possessed with the intent to distribute, a Schedule I controlled substance, 100 or more grams heroin at the Fifth Street address.
The indictment goes on to say, “Upon conviction of the offenses in violation of Title 21, United States Code, Sections 841, 846, and 856 set forth in this indictment, the defendant, Peggy Chaffin, shall forfeit to the United States any property constituting, or derived from, any proceeds obtained, directly or indirectly, as the result of such offenses and any property used, or intended to be used, in any manner or part, to commit, or to facilitate the commission of, the offenses. The property to be forfeited includes, but is not limited to, real property known and numbered as 1734 Fifth St., Portsmouth, Ohio.”
Chaffin and the other four appeared before a federal magistrate judge in Cincinnati on Wednesday and Chaffin, Walker, Spikes and Crawford were ordered held without bond pending trial. Jenkins was placed on electronic monitoring. U.S. District Judge Michael R. Barrett will schedule a date for trial.
Frank Lewis may be reached at 740-353-3101, ext. 252, or at flewis@heartlandpublications.com
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