Akron woman allegedly sold drugs to undercover sheriff's detective at Ravenna store
An Akron woman is facing drug trafficking charges in connection with an allegation that she sold prescription medications to an undercover Portage County sheriff’s deputy at the Ravenna Giant Eagle grocery store.
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A grand jury has indicted Ruth D. Sheppard, 59, with one count each of third- and fifth-degree felony drug trafficking, according to the indictment filed in Portage County Court of Common Pleas on Thursday.
Sheppard was arrested after the Portage County Sheriff’s Office’s Drug and Violent Crime Unit arranged a “buy-bust operation” at the store, at 909 E. Main St., on Jan. 19, according to a sheriff’s office media release. During the operation, a detective with the unit allegedly arranged to purchase 90 tablets of amphetamine/dextroamphetamine, a central nervous system stimulant, and 60 tablets of gabapentin, an anti-seizure medication, from Sheppard.
The sheriff’s office also said Sheppard was wanted on warrants, including by the Summit County Sheriff’s Office for an alleged probation violation stemming from a burglary conviction and by Kent State University police on a misdemeanor theft charge.
Sheppard pleaded not guilty during arraignment in Portage County Court of Common Pleas on Friday, according to court records. Judge Laurie Pittman ordered her held on a 10 percent of $35,000 bond, with conditions if released including that she submit to random substance abuse testing and electronically-monitored house arrest.
Sheppard is scheduled for jury trial on March 22. She is also scheduled for a Feb. 28 status conference and a March 18 pretrial hearing.
Reporter Jeff Saunders can be reached at jsaunders@recordpub.com.
This article originally appeared on Record-Courier: Akron woman allegedly sold drugs at Ravenna Giant Eagle store
