Ronnell Leeper, 31, of Columbus, faces charges of trafficking drugs Sherika Banks, 25, of Columbus, is charged with permitting drug abuse

Ronnell Leeper, 31, of Columbus, faces charges of trafficking drugs - cocaine, and possession of drugs - crack cocaine. Both are third-degree felonies.Sherika Banks, 25, of Columbus, is charged with permitting drug abuse, a fifth-degree felony.After a three-month investigation, Fairfield-Hocking Major Crimes Unit had the Lancaster Police conduct a traffic stop on Leeper - who was driving in the 100 block of East Sixth Avenue.Banks was a passenger in Leeper's car.Major Crimes Unit Cmdr. Eric Brown said Leeper, the target of the investigation, was arrested with 18.5 grams of crack cocaine, which has a street value of 100 to 150 a gram."We consider (Leeper) to be a mid- to upper-level dealer," said Brown. "He was more than the street corner drug dealer. He was bringing crack cocaine to the this community on a regular basis."
Brown said Leeper, known on the street as "Duke," was going out into the rural parts of the county to sell drugs as well as the city."We are very familiar with his (criminal) history," Brown said. "He was known to deal (drugs) in Fairfield County and in the City of Lancaster."Lancaster Police arrested Leeper in June 2007 on charges of drug trafficking and possession of drugs.His disposition for those charges was unknown at the time of publication. Brown said the drug bust was a joint operation between the Major Crimes Unit, Lancaster Police Department and the Fairfield County Sheriff's Office.Leeper is being detained at the Fairfield County Jail on a $500,000 cash surety bond.Banks is being detained at the Fairfield County Jail on a $50,000 cash surety bond.

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