Operation Boltcutter Nets 20 Arrests

Ohio and federal authorities say a two-year probe of multiple crime rings linked to drug trafficking, pharmacy burglaries and home break-ins has resulted in 20 arrests.

Ohio Attorney General Richard Cordray and U.S. Attorney Carter Stewart announced Tuesday in the Dayton suburb of Centerville the results of "Operation Boltcutter."

The two-year investigation, dubbed "Operation Boltcutter," shut down four crime rings involved in large-scale drug trafficking, armed home invasions and pharmacy burglaries and has led to the arrests of 20 individuals to-date, Cordray said.

"The individuals in these very violent organizations were responsible for hundreds of felonies throughout Ohio," said Attorney General Cordray. "They employed sophisticated tactics that terrorized the communities where they operated as well as individual victims. I strongly commend the officers and agents who risked their lives to bring an end to these ruthless enterprises."

They said the undercover investigation began in late 2007 into drug trafficking operating from southwest Ohio's Montgomery County and extending into Warren County and eastern Kentucky.

Authorities said that led to probes of groups involved in shoplifting, robberies and burglaries targeting prescription drugs in the tri-state region including Indiana.

Most of those arrested have been convicted and sentenced.