2 Suspected Drug Traffickers Are Now Behind Bars

Two men find themselves behind bars in Muskingum County Thursday on a series of drug trafficking charges.

The first arrest involved local law enforcement officials flying to Los Angles, California to apprehend Elgin Haynie. Haynie is being charged with trafficking, engaging in a pattern of corrupt activity, and 2 counts of money laundering.

“We were made aware of suspicious packages being sent to Zanesville. During this investigation we identified the source of illegal narcotics coming into our community. And were able to pursue that source outside the community to eventually stop this pipeline of meth being poured into Muskingum County and the surrounding counties,” said Zanesville Police Chief Kenny Miller.

The second case involves 35 year old Heath Alan Hendershot of Zanesville. Who has also been indicted on several charges which include 5 counts of drug trafficking, 1 count of possession of drugs, 1 count of tampering with evidence, and 1 count of failure to comply.

“Mr. Hendershot did jump out of a moving car, allowed the car to continue to roll. Which ended up crashing into a fence and down into a ravine. And Mr. Hendershot had a short foot pursuit and was taken into custody. When you get one that runs that thinks they’re above the law, it’s even more satisfying to get them off the streets,” said Muskingum County Sheriff Matt Lutz.

If convicted, Haynie is facing up to 27 years behind bars and Hendershot can face up to 19 years. Lutz credits these arrests to the teamwork of the Zanesville Police Department and Sheriff’s Office joint drug task force.