State v. Stuart

2025 Ohio 2420
Ohio Court of Appeals·Decided July 8, 2025·No. L-24-1170·Published

Opinion

IN THE COURT OF APPEALS OF OHIO SIXTH APPELLATE DISTRICT

LUCAS COUNTY

State of Ohio Court of Appeals No. L-24-1170 Appellee Trial Court No. CR0202302033 v. Randy Stuart DECISION AND JUDGMENT Appellant Decided: July 8, 2025

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Julia R. Bates, Lucas County Prosecuting Attorney, and Brenda J. Majdalani and William H. Dailey, Assistant Prosecuting Attorneys, for appellee.

Karin L. Coble, for appellant.

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ZMUDA, J.

I. Introduction

{¶ 1} Appellant, Randy Stuart, appeals from the July 3, 2024 judgment of the Lucas County Court of Common Pleas convicting him of two drug trafficking offenses. For the following reasons, we affirm, in part, and reverse, in part, the trial court’s judgment.

A. Facts and Procedural Background

{¶ 2} This appeal arises from an incident that occurred on Mach 9, 2023. On that date, appellant was traveling in Lucas County, Ohio, in a rented vehicle when a Toledo Police officer initiated a traffic stop due to the illegal tinting on the vehicle’s windshield. During the stop, the officer suspected appellant had drugs in the vehicle and called for a K-9 unit. When the K-9 officer arrived, the officers spoke with appellant regarding the planned search of the exterior of the vehicle. Appellant consented to a search of the interior of the vehicle before the dog began its search. While conducting the search, an officer discovered a magnetic box, attached to the underside of the vehicle, that contained cocaine and a fentanyl-related compound.1 Appellant was then arrested. During the arrest, the officers discovered that appellant possessed three cellular phones and $1,380 in cash.

{¶ 3} On July 11, 2023, appellant was indicted on one count of trafficking in a fentanyl-related compound in violation of R.C. 2925.03(A)(2) and (C)(9)(e), a second- degree felony; one count of possession of a fentanyl-related compound in violation of R.C. 2925.11(A)(c)(11) and (C)(11)(d), a second-degree felony; one count of trafficking in cocaine in violation of R.C. 29253.03(A)(2) and (C)(4)(a), a fifth-degree felony; and one count of possession of cocaine in violation of R.C. 2925.11(A)(c)(4)(a), a fifth-

1 At trial, appellant stipulated to the identification of the drugs and their weight.

degree felony. Appellant was arraigned on July 27, 2023, and entered a not guilty plea to all four counts.

{¶ 4} Following several continuances, appellant proceeded to a two-day trial beginning on June 18, 2024. At trial, the parties elicited the following testimony:2 Testimony of Sergeant Kenneth Krabill

{¶ 5} At the time of trial, Sergeant Kenneth Krabill had been employed with the Toledo Police Department in Toledo, Ohio, for 11 years. During that time, he served as both a patrol officer, primarily responding to 911 calls, and as a member of the Toledo SWAT Team executing high-risk warrants and arrests. He was assigned to the Department’s gang task force at the time of appellant’s arrest. The gang task force investigates gang-related crimes and criminal activity in specific neighborhoods throughout the city. He testified that he is familiar with the tactics utilized by drug dealers as part of his investigations, including their use of “a lot of cell phones, scales, a lot of money, [and] large amounts of currency, especially in various denominations or smaller denominations[.]” He also noted that individuals selling drugs typically were found with “a lot of product” that they conceal “in all different ways.” Regarding the method of selling drugs, Sergeant Krabill testified that “[h]and-to-hand deals are common things that sometimes we’ll see or quick coming and going from locations.” Lastly, he described the efforts drug dealers used to conceal their “product,” including hiding it in

2 Testimony that is not relevant to this court’s analysis of appellant’s arguments is omitted.

“natural voids inside the vehicles [and in] magnetic boxes that are becoming more popular where they’re putting it under the car” as well as an increased use in rental vehicles in trafficking cases. Sergeant Krabill stated that he learned these tactics through training and “hundreds” of drug trafficking investigations.

{¶ 6} Sergeant Krabill then turned to the incident underlying the present appeal.

He testified that he was on duty on March 9, 2023. He and Detective Robert Bascone were patrolling the "East side” of Toledo in a “limited marked vehicle”—that is, a vehicle equipped with lights and sirens but no exterior identifying markings to indicate that it is a police vehicle. As they approached an apartment complex, Sergeant Krabill saw a vehicle exit the complex and travel in the opposite direction. He noted that the vehicle’s windshield was “completely black” and that he “couldn’t see any light at all” through the windshield. Ohio law prohibits tinting a windshield beyond a six-inch strip at the top. Upon observing the violation, Sergeant Krabill turned his vehicle around to initiate a traffic stop. Upon regaining sight of the vehicle, he determined that the license plates were assigned to a “rental” vehicle.

{¶ 7} Upon approaching the vehicle, Sergeant Krabill identified appellant as the driver and noted that he was the vehicle’s only occupant. Appellant informed Sergeant Krabill that the vehicle belonged to “his girl.” Sergeant Krabill testified that prior to and during the stop he observed “indicators” that suggested the presence of drugs in the vehicle. These included appellant’s “weaving” through the high crime area, the fact that it was a rental vehicle with an illegally tinted windshield, and appellant’s statement that the car belonged to his girl when it was already known to be a rental vehicle. Based on these observations, Sergeant Krabill requested the assistance of a K-9 unit.

{¶ 8} When the K-9 unit arrived, the officer asked appellant to exit the vehicle.

He informed appellant that he was going to have his dog search around the exterior of the vehicle. Appellant informed the officer that he had smoked marijuana in the vehicle earlier in the day and concluded that it would be likely the dog would alert the officer to the presence of drugs. In light of that conclusion, appellant consented to a search of the vehicle.

{¶ 9} While searching the vehicle, Sergeant Krabill noted that the interior was “pretty clean.” He then noticed a black box underneath the driver’s side door of the vehicle. Knowing that it was common for drug dealers to use magnetic boxes to hide contraband, Sergeant Krabill removed the box and searched it. He discovered a bag filled with 25 smaller plastic bags with some containing what he described as “clearly crack cocaine” and others containing a “powder” substance. He testified that he is able to identify crack cocaine based on certain physical characteristics that are not shared with any other drug. Sergeant Krabill then performed a “field operations test” and determined that the powder was Fentanyl. After searching the vehicle, the officers conducted a search of appellant that revealed $1,380 cash consisting of small-denomination bills and three cell phones.

{¶ 10} During his testimony, Sergeant Krabill identified exhibits consisting of the box found under the car, the lab tests confirming that the substances discovered were crack cocaine and Fentanyl, and the substances themselves contained in small plastic bags. All exhibits were admitted into evidence, without objection. Sergeant Krabill testified that the presence of drugs divided into small plastic bags, coupled with the large amount of money in appellant’s possession, indicated that he was involved in a drug trafficking operation.

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State v. Stuart, 2025 Ohio 2420 (Ohio Ct. App. 2025).

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