Curtis Debose
A Cleveland man accused of selling heroin to a police informant earlier this month has been indicted in federal court.
Police say Curtis Debose, 34, sold about 0.3 grams of heroin on Aug. 7 in a “controlled buy” conducted by the Medina County Drug Task Force, the Drug Enforcement Agency and the Medina Police Department.
In his Aug. 20 complaint, Michael D. Barnhardt, of the Drug Enforcement Agency, wrote the controlled buy was conducted at 416 Bronson St. in Medina after several months of surveillance checks that involved Debose and “his associates.”
“The Medina County Drug Task Force began working with (a confidential) source in the winter of 2014,” he wrote. “On Aug. 7 the source made a controlled purchase from Curtis Debose in the backyard of the Bronson Street residence.”
Barnhardt wrote that audio and video were recorded during the transaction.
“Hopefully, this will send a strong message to those that continue to prey on our community,” said Medina Police Chief Patrick Berarducci, who wants the Bronson Street house declared a “nuisance.” “You have to use all the tools at your disposal to fight this epidemic, and obviously Curtis had not gotten the message in his previous convictions.”
Debose has a criminal history dating back to 1999.
He served his first prison sentence in 2001 after being convicted on four different drug possession charges, all fourth-degree felonies, and felonious assault, a second-degree felony. He was sentenced to three years in prison.
He has served multiple prison sentences involving drug trafficking since his first release in 2004, most recently an 11-month sentence after being convicted on two counts of trafficking heroin.
Debose was transported from the Medina County Jail to the U.S. District Court in Akron for his initial court appearance.
Police also are seeking charges against the man at whose property Debose sold the heroin.
A Medina grand jury this week will hear the case against David Reed, 53, for permitting drug abuse.
Reed’s case was dismissed by Medina Municipal Court Judge Dale H. Chase after Chase ruled there was “no probable cause.”
Reed told The Gazette he did not know that Debose was selling heroin on his property the evening of Aug. 7.
Contact reporter Andrew Davis at (330) 721-4050 or adavis@medina-gazette.com.
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