News

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Wednesday, July 31, 2024

Muskingum County Prosecutor’s Office Fights Drug Use, Protects Taxpayers

In addition to prosecuting criminals endangering the Muskingum County community, the Muskingum County Prosecutor's Office works daily to make this community safer.

Outside the courtroom, the Prosecutor’s Office uses cash and property seized from criminals to fight crime, saving taxpayer money while keeping residents safe.

The Law Enforcement Trust Fund, a fund made from assets confiscated from criminals involved in drug-related crimes, allows the Prosecutor’s Office to fight crime at the expense of criminals and incur no extra cost to taxpayers.

The Prosecutor’s Office has seized more than $1.8 million in cash and property forfeitures from drug-related criminal activities since Prosecutor Ron Welch took office in January of 2021.

Money seized from drug forfeitures can only be used only in certain ways. Education and training on drug-crime investigation methods or for the advancement of drug investigations is one way funds are spent. For example, to enhance Muskingum County’s ability to quickly prosecute drug cases, seized drug crime assets have been used to purchase an $88,000 drug testing machine for the Central Ohio Drug Enforcement Task Force, the multi-county drug task force of which Muskingum County is a member. This machine allows Muskingum County law enforcement to obtain the results of drugs that are tested more quickly and to get drug dealers off the streets faster.

Educating the public and drug prevention is another way the Prosecutor’s Office is allowed to use drug forfeiture funds. Muskingum County’s schools have received over $40,000 in funding for drug use prevention, treatment, and education. Local organizations including groups such as Forever Dads, Muskingum Behavioral Health, Brave Beginnings, and Pearl House have all received support and funding through the forfeiture fund. Funding to community-based organizations for use in programs benefiting education, prevention, and rehabilitation has exceeded $20,000.

Not only has the prosecutor’s office focused on education and prevention but rehabilitation as well. Over the last two-plus years the prosecutor’s office has dedicated over $150,000 to a drug diversion program to assist low-level offenders in breaking the cycle of addiction resulting in numerous individuals benefitting from available resources and bettering themselves.

The prosecutor’s office has also been able to use over $100,000 of drug forfeiture proceeds to make upgrades in technology necessitated by the large increase in drug-related cases over the last 10 years. These upgrades have included case management software and the implementation of a digital evidence-based system that allows the prosecutor’s office and law enforcement to operate more efficiently.

The remaining funds of approximately $1.6 million are kept in accounts that draw interest, supporting additional expenses related to cracking down on destructive drug use in the community.

Muskingum County Prosecuting Attorney Ron Welch says the Law Enforcement Trust Fund creates opportunities to use seized drug money to make Muskingum County safer and better.

“The combined efforts of law enforcement and our office have provided our community with the opportunity to use drug money for good, instead of allowing drug dealers to use it to build their deadly business,” Prosecutor Welch said. “The way in which these funds are used has made our community a safer and better place to be. Fighting crime takes money, and using criminals’ money to fight back is very satisfying.”

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