Middletown man eats drugs in attempt to hide them from police officer

A Middletown patrol officer who recognized a man walking on Orchard Street near Beatrice Drive stopped to ask him some questions only to find he was wanted on outstanding warrants from two counties and in possession of fentanyl.

The officer pulled up and asked to talk to Joseph Sheffield, 32, of Orchard Street, about 10 a.m. April 11 because he had a prior contact with him for drug abuse charges.

As they talked, the officer noticed Sheffield was starting to sweat, which the officer thought was unusual because it was a cool and breezy day, according to a police report.

Sheffield told the officer that there was a warrant for him out of Hamilton County. The officer found Sheffield was a wanted fugitive from Hamilton County and also had a warrant out of Warren County.

As the officer began to search Sheffield, the man put a paper fold into his mouth, according to the police report. The officer ordered him to spit it out where a white powder substance was found inside the paper fold, according to the report.

A field test determined the substance was fentanyl.

Sheffield was arrested for one count of drug abuse/fentanyl, a fifth-degree felony, as well as the outstanding warrants from Hamilton and Warren counties.

Police forwarded the substance to the Ohio Bureau of Criminal Investigation for further analysis.

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