Six individuals have been arrested on various charges including drug offenses, weapons offenses and violation of probation.

Scioto County Sheriff Marty V. Donini said members of the Scioto County Drug Task Force - detectives from the sheriff's narcotics unit, probation officers from the Portsmouth Municipal Court, troopers from the Ohio State Highway Patrol and investigators from the Scioto County Prosecutors Office - executed searches of residences in the areas of West Portsmouth and Lucasville.

When members of the team searched the residence on Bellamy Road in West Portsmouth, officers arrested David P. Matthews, 29, of Bellamy Road, for possession of OxyContin, a third-degree felony, and violation of probation; Glenna M. Darby, 24, of Bellamy Road, for possession of OxyContin; Rocky D. Newman, 32, of Bellamy Road, for trafficking in drugs, a fifth-degree felony; Jeffrey Z. Fraley, 48, of Bellamy Road, for violation of probation; and Teresa D. Loveley, 30, of Bellamy Road, for violation of probation.

Officers seized nine 80-milligram OxyContin tablets, approximately $1,800 cash and various drug paraphernalia during the Bellamy Road searches.

Officers also executed a warrant at 223 A Wilson St., Lucasville, where they say they seized several firearms and marijuana.

Keith A. Childers, 49, of the Wilson Street address, was arrested for possessing a weapon while under disability, a third-degree felony, because Childers was convicted in 1994 for trafficking in marijuana.

All were transported to and placed in the Scioto County jail.

Matthews' bond was set at $7,500, and will go back to Municipal Court on May 8. He also is being held on a felony probation holder.

Darby's bond was set at $10,000, and she bonded out Tuesday.

Newman signed his own bond on Tuesday.

Fraley and Lovely, both charged with probation violations, are awaiting action by their probation officers, and Childers bonded out on $10,000 bond.

John Koch, of the sheriff's narcotics unit, said the cooperation of all agencies involved was part of the new task force assembled in April by all law enforcement agencies in the county.

“We had probation officers from both municipal courts and one from Scioto County Common Pleas Court,” Koch said. “We even had investigators from the prison. They're special deputies who assist when we don't have enough people. We just wanted to make sure we had everything covered.”

When the new task force was created, Scioto County Prosecutor Mark Kuhn said, “The role of each agency on the Scioto County Task Force is to aid in getting the criminal element out of our county and reduce the effects the drug problem has on our community.”

Donini said anyone with drug activity information should call the narcotics unit at (740) 351-1094. All information will be kept confidential and anonymous.

FRANK LEWIS can be reached at (740) 353-3101, ext. 232.