Union County law enforcement officials executed a search warrant at 107 Forest Lane, Richwood, in the Forest Lane Apartment complex on Friday. Investigators found drugs, guns and cash. Timothy Island was arrested.
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A man investigators believe was selling drugs in Richwood is behind bars.
Timothy Island, 38, of 107 Forest Lane, Richwood, was arrested Friday, charged with a probation violation.
Island was arrested after detectives from the Multi-Agency Drug Enforcement Task Force, deputies from the Union County Sheriff’s Office, officers from the Richwood Police Department and the Marysville Police Department’s Special Response Team served a search warrant at his home.
Union County Sheriff Jamie Patton said thesearch, conducted about 9:45 a.m., uncovered a gun, drugs, drug paraphernalia and cash. He said investigators believe they have heroin, methamphetamines and cocaine but cannot be sure until the drugs are tested at a lab. He said the testing will also determine the exact amounts.
He said investigators have not counted the cash to get an amount, but they believe it is the result of drug trafficking.
Patton said task force members have been investigation alleged drug trafficking at the Forest Lane Apartment for two months. He said the apartment has had “prior drug incidents” and a non-fatal drug overdose has been linked to Island and to the home.
Patton said that before the search was conducted, law enforcement officials conducted a “threat assessment” on the home.
“We do that on all these cases,” Patton said. “Where it comes back on that assessment determines our approach. Anytime there is an indication of a threat or of possible violence, we want to use the team that is best trained and prepared go in.”
He said the threat assessment on Island and his home warranted “a tactical breech.”
“We know that he does have a violent background and several prior arrests,” Patton said.
Court records indicate Island has multiple prior drug and theft related arrests.
“He does have some aliases that he uses… I know that,” Patton said.
Island was transported to the Tri-County Regional Jail in Mechanicsburg. As of press time, no bond has been set and an initial arraignment has not been scheduled. Patton said that “in addition to the probation violation, charges of drug trafficking and corrupting another with drugs are pending against Island.”
“Once we have all of our tests back and have completed our investigation, the information will be forwarded to the prosecutor’s office,” Patton said.
The sheriff said he is pleased with the search and arrest.
“He has been trafficking drugs and corrupting others with drugs,” Patton said. “We felt confident he was supplying the Richwood area with drugs. We are going to clean up the drugs if we have to do it one trafficker, one dealer at a time.”