Portage County drug unit seizes guns, drugs on Ohio Turnpike

PORTAGE COUNTY, Ohio (WOIO) — A small drug interdiction unit in Portage County has confiscated thousands of grams of methamphetamine and fentanyl — and taken dozens of illegal firearms off the streets.

The Portage County drug interdiction team is known as the PACE unit.

“The Portage Aggressive Crime Enforcement team,” said Deputy Dale Murray of the Portage County Sheriff’s Office.

The unit has four deputies and three K-9s.

Formed in 2021, the team’s goal is to confiscate narcotics before they hit the streets.

“We find a lot of methamphetamine and we do find a lot of fentanyl lately,” Murray said.

“Fentanyl, the press pills are still coming out of Mexico. The meth. Cocaine is starting to come back, even black tar heroin,” said Portage County Sheriff Bruce Zuchowski.

Drug seizures and indictments

Zuchowski said since 2022, the PACE unit has confiscated over $200,000 in cash, 13 vehicles, 52 guns and over 200 pounds of drugs.

That includes 876 grams of cocaine, 260 grams of crack, 396 grams of fentanyl, 28 grams of heroin, 158 pounds of marijuana and 15,500 grams of methamphetamine.

That doesn’t include what the Drug and Violent Crime Unit has confiscated.

Zuchowski invited 19 News to get a firsthand look at how the team operates.

Deputy Dustin Diemert and his K-9 Duran demonstrated how quickly they can take down a suspect.

Each dog goes through rigorous training before joining the force.

“They can be used either way, you know, as a drug detection canine or an aggressive canine,” Zuchowski said.

Diemert gave three warnings before letting Duran attack a reporter during a demonstration.

“See how heavy he is? He’d rip somebody to the ground,” a deputy said.

Tactics and traffic stops

Deputies showed what they can do when a suspect refuses to get out of their vehicle.

That’s what happened last year when James Frymyer led officers on a high-speed chase which began in Brimfield Township.

When they caught up with him in Akron, he refused to get out of his car.

Officers used a “less-lethal” rifle to blow out the windshield, then tossed in a canister of tear gas.

Deputies demonstrated what a less-lethal rifle can do.

It’s loaded with cartridges that are similar to bean bags.

Deputies fired the rifle, blowing out a car’s side window, then shot a canister of tear gas inside.

The PACE team then patrolled an eight-mile stretch of the Ohio Turnpike.

They pulled drivers over, directing some to the service plaza so they could safely search their vehicles top to bottom.

Officers said a minor traffic violation sometimes leads to a major bust.

“People transporting or smuggling big drugs anywhere from the West Coast all the way over here,” Murray said.

Deputies are trained to locate each car’s hidden compartments.

“Behind stereos, behind panels, like side panels, quarter panels,” Murray said.

They searched one driver’s car and belongings and when nothing was found they let him go.

Drugs previously discovered

The team then pulled over a truck that looked familiar.

“Yesterday, we found some meth,” Murray said.

The driver was pulled over two days in a row.

They wanted to know if he was carrying anything on him again this time.

After looking through his duffle bag, they inspected his truck front to back.

“Today he might have it on him. It might be in his underwear. Obviously, we can’t do searches like that,” Murray said.

They sent the man on his way.

Shortly afterwards, the PACE team busted two men carrying three pounds of marijuana and a gun hidden under the car’s hood.

They said both are convicted felons, not allowed to carry firearms.

The sheriff said he’s proud of his officers but it’s not a job for everyone.

“It takes a special deputy, or law enforcement officer, to work drugs,” Zuchowski said.

“I’d put them up against any drug interdiction officer in the nation,” he said.

Frymyer pled guilty to drug charges in connection with the pursuit.

He’s currently doing jail time. His public defender wouldn’t comment.

Since 2022, the PACE team’s work has led to 644 felony and 177 misdemeanor indictments.

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