MARIETTA — Officials say they have cut the head off the proverbial snake of a major drug trafficking network in Southeastern Ohio supplied through family in Columbus.

A press conference to announce the investigation and subsequent arrests was held in Wesley Township Thursday.

“We started an investigation into Richard Mayle and Brandon Kennedy who had an organization selling drugs in Washington, Morgan, Athens, Franklin counties about 18 months,” said Washington County Sheriff’s Lt. Josh Staats, leader of the Washington Morgan Noble Major Crimes Task Force. “We executed search warrants from Columbus, Zanesville, Athens County, Morgan County and Washington County today on that group of individuals and made 11 arrests, seized approximately $43,000 in cash, 4.5 pounds of marijuana, five ounces of cocaine, approximately 25 firearms, multiple vehicles and other assets in relation to drug trafficking from all the residences in which we executed the search warrants.”

The following were the 11 individuals arrested on charges Thursday:

* Richard Leroy Mayle, 74, of 600 Hill Road, Cutler, for trafficking in heroin, a second-degree felony, and trafficking in prescription pain pills, a fourth-degree felony.

* Rodney Duane Mayle, 49, of 1205 1/2 Pershing Road, Zanesville, for trafficking in cocaine, a second-degree felony.

* Brandon Lee Kennedy, 29, of 5580 Oak Hill Road, Stockport, for trafficking in cocaine, a second-degree felony.

* Brianna Shauntelle Cossin, 27, of 600 Hill Road, Cutler, for trafficking in prescription pain pills, a fourth-degree felony.

* Leanne Kay Seyfried, 58, of 9255 State Route 377, Chesterhill, for trafficking in cocaine, a third-degree felony.

* Susan Raye Harvey, 43, of 11722 State Route 555, Cutler, for one fourth-degree felony count of trafficking in cocaine and one fifth-degree felony count of trafficking in cocaine.

* Tyrone Christopher Holbert, 30, of 7020 Wood Road, Chesterhill, for trafficking in cocaine, a first-degree felony.

* Dani Nicole Kenney, 28, 5580 Oak Hill Road, Stockport, trafficking in marijuana, a fourth-degree felony.

* Ike Ray Tabler, 43, of 1228 McGraw Road, Stewart, for trafficking in heroin, a second-degree felony.

* Christian Edward Sayre, 36, of 1924 State Route 550, Cutler, for trafficking in marijuana, a fourth-degree felony.

* Douglas Kendrell Kaltenbach, 56, of 7025 Marion Street, Chesterhill, for having weapons under a disability, a third-degree felony.

Staats said the drug ring was run within the family and that Kennedy is the grandson of Mayle.

“This is an example of cooperation between agencies; it was led by the major crimes task force but it also involved cooperation with the prosecutor’s offices in Morgan County and Washington County,” said Morgan County Prosecutor Mark J. Howdyshell. “Washington County’s Prosecutor’s office has done all of the warrants for gathering information. It’s not just the task force and the prosecutor’s office but also the highway patrol and Muskingum County and Athens County and police agencies in each of those counties.”

Howdyshell said the effort by all of the law enforcement agencies and the prosecuting offices showed that officials in Southeastern Ohio “will not tolerate drug activity.”

“It may not seem like a big bust for the urban counties,” he said. “But here this kind of bust sends a message…These are the drugs that are leading to our young people overdosing and dying. We do this because we want a better world, a better society, a better community for our young people to grow up in and prosper.”

Morgan County Sheriff Douglas J. McGrath said the arrests could not have been made without the aid of all the participating agencies.

“My department is small, without their assistance we would have never been able to do something of this magnitude,” he said. “We definitely cut the head off the snake today. We severed a major drug supply line and for that I’m thankful.”

Both Washington County Sheriff Larry Mincks and Washington County Prosecutor Kevin Rings said Thursday that more arrests should come out of the investigation.

“We did cut the head off the snake today but there’s a lot of snake left,” said Rings. “So there’s going to be more coming and it will not be something that’s centered in just Washington County. I think we’ll have charges pending in at least four counties. It was a pretty big organization.”

Staats said the ring was tracked down through information gathered by the task force from concerned citizens and that the warrants executed Thursday were coordinated by team leaders across the state at approximately the same time that morning.

“We had over 100 law enforcement officers conduct the raids,” said Rings. “Thankfully it went smoothly and there were no injuries as a result.”

Mincks said all individuals arrested in the raids Thursday will be housed at the Washington County Jail pending bond and arraignment.

The fifteen warrants were executed on the following locations:

Morgan County:

* 1640 High Street Chesterhill.

* 7270 Marion Street, Chesterhill.

* 7025 Marion Street, Chesterhill.

* 9800 Goins Lane, Amesville.

* 7020 Wood Road, Chesterhill.

Washington County:

* 600 Hill Road, Cutler.

* A garage on Mayle Ridge Road, Cutler.

* 13783 State Route 555, Cutler.

* 11722 State Route 555, Cutler.

* 5580 Oak Hill Road, Stockport.

* 3081 Oak Hill Road, Cutler.

* 1924 State Route 550, Cutler.

Athens County:

* 12328 State Route 329, Stewart.

* 12328 State Route 329, Stewart.

Columbus:

* 6200 Ambleside Drive, Apt. D, Columbus.

* 6397 Ambleside Drive, Columbus.

Muskingum County:

* 1205 1/2 Pershing Road, Zanesville.