Elyria police raid in March leads to multiple felony drug, weapons charges

Two people arrested by Elyria police in a March raid on their Bayberry Drive residence are now facing more than 20 charges between them in Lorain County Common Pleas Court. Anthony Russell Jr. and Kaitlin Ruiz are facing multiple felony and misdemeanor charges for allegedly selling drugs or allowing drugs to be sold in the presence of children, along with other charges following a March 22 police raid. Russell, 25, is facing 18 criminal charges after the case against him was presented to a Lorain County grand jury and an indictment was returned on Thursday. The charges include trafficking in a fentanyl-related compound, possession of a fentanyl-related compound, trafficking in cocaine, possession of cocaine, trafficking in drugs, possession of drugs, six counts of having weapons under disability, receiving stolen property and possession of criminal tools. All are felonies with specifications. Russell also is charged with felony obstruction and misdemeanor charges including two counts of endangering children and one count of driving under suspension. Ruiz, 28, is charged with permitting drug abuse and possession of criminal tools, both felonies with specifications, and two counts of endangering children, both misdemeanors. Both defendants are free on bond, according to court records. Neither of their cases has been assigned to a judge. A search warrant executed March 22 by the Elyria Police Department's Special Response Team was the result of a drug trafficking investigation, the police department said in a news release. Officers entered the home shortly before 8 a.m. and arrested Russell and Ruuiz. They found more than 100 grams of fentanyl, between 27 and 100 grams of cocaine, less than a bulk amount of the sedative bromazolam, $15,442 in cash, and two Taurus handguns. The guns were allegedly used by Ruiz and Russell to protect their drugs and drug proceeds, according to the charges. One of the guns had been reported stolen, according to court records. Russell is not allowed to own or possess any guns due to having two prior felony convictions, one each for felonious assault in 2020 and attempted felonious assault in 2022, both in Lorain County Common Pleas Court. He also was convicted of fentanyl trafficking in Common Pleas Court in 2021, according to his indictment. The specifications to their charges could force Ruiz and Russell to forfeit the guns and the cash and get additional mandatory prison time if convicted.