State v. Blankenship

2023 Ohio 4442
CourtOhio Court of Appeals
DecidedDecember 8, 2023
Docket2023-CA-9
StatusPublished
Cited by1 cases

This text of 2023 Ohio 4442 (State v. Blankenship) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Ohio Court of Appeals primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
State v. Blankenship, 2023 Ohio 4442 (Ohio Ct. App. 2023).

Opinion

[Cite as State v. Blankenship, 2023-Ohio-4442.]

IN THE COURT OF APPEALS OF OHIO SECOND APPELLATE DISTRICT CLARK COUNTY

STATE OF OHIO : : Appellee : C.A. No. 2023-CA-9 : v. : Trial Court Case Nos. 22-CR-0812(B); : 23-CR-0033 (B) RICHARD BLANKENSHIP : : (Criminal Appeal from Common Pleas Appellant : Court) :

...........

OPINION

Rendered on December 8, 2023

ADAM JAMES STOUT, Attorney for Appellant

ROBERT C. LOGSDON, Attorney for Appellee

.............

WELBAUM, P.J.

{¶ 1} Richard Blankenship appeals from his conviction following a jury trial on

charges of engaging in a pattern of corrupt activity, trafficking in a fentanyl-related

compound with a major-drug-offender specification, illegal assembly or possession of

chemicals for the manufacture of drugs, and aggravated trafficking in methamphetamine

with a firearm specification. -2-

{¶ 2} Blankenship contends the trial court erred in not dismissing for cause a juror

who previously had been his landlord. He also challenges the weight and sufficiency of

the evidence to sustain his convictions for engaging in a pattern of corrupt activity,

aggravated trafficking in methamphetamine, and trafficking in a fentanyl-related

compound. He additionally contests the trial court’s admission of a jail phone-call

recording that the prosecutor did not disclose until the morning of trial. Finally, he

contends the trial court’s judgment entry imposed an improper sentence under the

Reagan Tokes Law.

{¶ 3} We conclude that the trial court did not abuse its discretion in declining to

dismiss the juror for cause or in admitting the phone-call recording. The challenged

convictions were supported by legally sufficient evidence and were not against the weight

of the evidence. The trial court’s judgment entry also correctly calculated and stated

Blankenship’s aggregate minimum prison term and his maximum term under the Reagan

Tokes Law. However, its judgment entry did erroneously recite a separate maximum term

for each Reagan Tokes qualifying offense. Accordingly, the trial court’s judgment will be

affirmed in part, reversed in part, and remanded for the sole purpose of correcting

references to a separate maximum prison term for each Reagan Tokes qualifying offense.

I. Facts and Course of Proceedings

{¶ 4} The charges against Blankenship stemmed from an undercover investigation

of drug trafficking in Clark County. Evidence presented at trial established that the

investigation began around July 2021 when police cultivated a confidential source who

provided information about a drug-trafficking operation involving three individuals—Ariel -3-

Bush, Todd Frye, and Richard Blankenship. The source reported that Bush was

“pressing” or manufacturing pills disguised and labeled as Percocet but containing

fentanyl. The source provided an approximate location where Bush was staying. A

detective subsequently located Facebook conversations in which an individual sought to

obtain real Percocet pills from Bush, requesting not to receive pressed fentanyl disguised

as Percocet.

{¶ 5} Springfield police initiated surveillance on Bush. They discovered that he

resided at 819 Grant Street with his girlfriend, Heather Flaker, and drove a Ford Mustang

registered to her. Police also obtained a cell-phone number for Bush and learned that a

“top caller” of his was Blankenship. Police placed a GPS tracking device on Bush’s car

and found that one of his primary destinations was Blankenship’s residence at 124 North

Shaffer Street. Investigators also obtained Blankenship’s phone records and located

approximately 400 text and cell phone conversations between Bush and Blankenship

each month.

{¶ 6} On August 24, 2021, police conducted a traffic stop of a vehicle observed

leaving Bush’s residence. A search of the vehicle uncovered five pounds of marijuana in

the trunk and a firearm in the back seat. Further review of Bush’s Facebook account

suggested that he was trafficking marijuana, methamphetamine, and “pressed pills” from

his residence. Investigators also found the name Todd Frye in Facebook records related

to drug transactions. Police began tracking Frye’s vehicle and discovered that he

frequently visited Blankenship’s residence. Police learned that Frye was under

investigation in Union County for allegedly selling pressed fentanyl pills which had -4-

resulted in an overdose death. Investigators obtained Frye’s cell phone number and found

that he was communicating with Bush and Blankenship.

{¶ 7} Police began using a confidential source to request pressed fentanyl pills

from Bush through phone calls and text messages. On these occasions, Bush would

respond by saying things like “he’s doing them now” or “I’m going to check on them.”

Police would watch as the tracker on Bush’s vehicle moved to 124 North Shaffer Street.

Officers conducting surveillance also observed Bush arriving at 124 North Shaffer Street

and entering the garage. The confidential source subsequently purchased counterfeit

Percocet pills from Bush. The pills were imprinted with the numbers “10/325,” indicating

that they were Percocet, when in fact they contained fentanyl mixed with acetaminophen.

{¶ 8} Police obtained search warrants for 819 Grant Street and 124 North Shaffer

Street. They executed the warrants on November 8, 2021. The search of Blankenship’s

residence and garage revealed large quantities of drugs, including methamphetamine

and four pounds of fentanyl mixed with acetaminophen. Police also found a pill-pressing

machine, Firmapress (a binding agent to make tablets), counterfeit Percocet pills

containing fentanyl and acetaminophen, hundreds of dollars in cash, digital scales in a

bedroom, a blender with white powder on it, and an AK-47 rifle. Some of the drugs were

packaged in baggies in preparation for distribution. The search of Bush’s residence

resulted in discovery of marijuana, vacuum-sealed bags, a blender with white

acetaminophen powder, scales, and firearms.

{¶ 9} In addition to the foregoing evidence, the State’s evidence at trial included

cell-phone text exchanges between Bush and Blankenship discussing apparent drug -5-

transactions. The State also presented evidence of text exchanges between Blankenship

and prospective drug purchasers regarding specific drug requests, as well as text

exchanges between Frye and Blankenship about the manufacture and trafficking of

drugs. During a police interview, Blankenship admitted keeping the pill-pressing machine

at his home, storing drugs in his safe, and handing drugs to buyers at his house on

multiple occasions within 30 days prior to his arrest. He claimed that his involvement was

at Bush’s request and that he was “a pawn in their scheme.”

{¶ 10} Frye testified against Blankenship at trial and recalled pressing the fentanyl

pills at Blankenship’s house. Frye stated that he, Blankenship, and Bush all assisted in

pressing the pills. Frye recalled participating in the operation approximately seven or eight

times during the time frame set forth in the indictment against Blankenship. On those

occasions, Frye travelled from Logan County to Clark County to meet with Bush and

Blankenship to press pills. Frye acknowledged a joint effort involving the three of them

working together to manufacture the pills. According to Frye, Bush provided the

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