Belmont County deputies say a routine drug check at a local hotel turned into a major bust last Thursday, with investigators seizing significant amounts of fentanyl, methamphetamine and cocaine and hauling four people off to jail. Deputies report recovering about 72 grams of fentanyl, 306 grams of meth and roughly 17 grams of cocaine. All four suspects are being held in the Belmont County Jail while investigators keep digging into the case.
What investigators found and who was arrested
Authorities identified the four people arrested as Michael Claytor, 19, Eric Jones, 18, Rishun Jones, 22, and Terry Hopkins, 23. They face a slate of charges that include possession and trafficking of fentanyl, methamphetamine and cocaine. Detectives say Claytor and Rishun Jones are also looking at additional counts for resisting arrest after two suspects ran from the scene and were later tracked down.
All four were booked into the Belmont County Jail. Sheriff James Zusack said the investigation is still active and that more arrests could follow, according to WTRF.
The scale and the risk
Seventy-two grams of fentanyl works out to roughly 72,000 milligrams. Public-health and law-enforcement agencies often cite about 2 milligrams as a potentially lethal dose, which puts that haul at around 36,000 potentially deadly 2-milligram doses under federal guidance. That is why authorities treat even modest-sounding fentanyl seizures as serious public-safety wins.
The DEA and other public-health authorities stress that very small amounts of fentanyl can be fatal, especially when users do not realize it is in the drug supply. The 306 grams of methamphetamine deputies say they seized is also consistent with distribution-level quantities and, if sold on the street, would add to the overall risk of harm in the community.
Who took part in the investigation
The bust was not a solo act. The Belmont County Sheriff's Office Criminal Interdiction Unit led the way, working alongside the Ohio Valley Drug Task Force, the St. Clairsville Police Department and the Barnesville Police Department. Detectives say the case began with tips about suspected drug activity at a hotel, which spurred surveillance and searches that turned up the narcotics, as outlined by WTRF.
A pattern of recent busts
This is not the only sizeable seizure in the area this year. In April, another operation in the region led to the recovery of about 328 grams of suspected cocaine and fentanyl, according to The Intelligencer. Earlier in January, a separate Belmont County probe resulted in roughly 120 grams of methamphetamine being taken off the street, per the Times Leader.
What happens next
The four suspects remain in custody while prosecutors sort through the case and finalize formal charges. Those already on the table include possession and trafficking counts tied to fentanyl, meth and cocaine. Sheriff Zusack has said the probe is ongoing, and investigators intend to keep following leads. Prosecutors will ultimately determine the exact list of charges and when the defendants will first appear in court.
