Prosecutors said Hill and Owens went with Hendricks to the residence of John Andrews Jr. on Bingham Street to rob him, but Andrews shot in self-defense, killing Hendricks. The indictment was unsealed Thursday after nine search warrants were served in Butler County, and Andrews was taken into custody on drug charges.
Owens was arraigned Friday in Butler County Common Pleas Court where bond was set at $1.5 million, according to court documents. Hill is in custody in Virginia. An arraignment in Butler County has not yet been set.
The search warrants were served last week by multiple agencies, including the Butler County Undercover Regional Narcotics Task Force, Hamilton Police, Fairfield Police, Middletown Division of Police, the Hamilton County Task Force, Warren County Drug Task Force and the FBI. They were served on Hamilton residences related to the drug trafficking organization operating throughout Butler County, according to the Butler County Sheriff’s Office.
The group was allegedly involved with a large drug seizure in June and a shooting death in September. The searches resulted in the recovery of approximately 700 pounds of marijuana with a street value estimated to be around $2 million, 10 firearms, multiple vehicles and more than $50,000.
Andrews 36, of Hamilton is charged with possession of a controlled substance with intent to distribute, possession of a firearm by a prohibited person and possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking offense.
He is in federal custody awaiting the case to be presented to a grand jury, according to court records.
According to federal court documents, Andrews is one of two men investigators say were supplying large quantities of marijuana to rival gangs in Hamilton.
Investigators said since “December of 2019, FBI Cincinnati, the Butler County BURN Task Force, Hamilton Police Department, Hamilton County RENU Task Force and the Middletown Police been involved with a multi-agency joint investigation into an ongoing violent and deadly gang turf war occurring in Hamilton and the surrounding areas between the “Thirty Gang” and the “RU Gang.”
Hamilton Police have identified 40 known profiled members of the Thirty Gang and 67 known profiled members of the RU Gang, according to court documents.
“The two groups have been engaged in an ongoing gang turf war around the city of Hamilton since at least 2016. This turf war has resulted in approximately 10 homicides between Thirty Gang and RU Gang members as well as another four documented shootings between the two gangs that did not result in any death,” the federal court complaint states.
The court records state the “multiple sources” indicate Andrews, known as “Bark Bark” and another man were operating a large drug trafficking organization and are primary marijuana suppliers for both gangs.
Andrews and the other man acquired significant quantities of high-grade marijuana from California that they then sold for around $3,000 per pound. The court document says Andrews is primarily responsible for hand-to-hand drug transactions in Hamilton.
Investigators indicated Andrews, who is a already a convicted felon, operated his drug operation from his residence in the 4400 block of Bingham Street.
Between the dates of Jan. 25 and Feb. 5, 2022, undercover agents purchased marijuana directly from Andrews. The documents also say methamphetamine was at Andrews’ residence. On Jan. 11, Andrews made a social media post that seemed to indicate he needed someone “whacked” at Warren Correctional Institution, according to the federal court documents.
The evidence outlined in the court documents signed by FBI Special Agent Amy Dalpiaz led to search warrant executions last week.
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