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Charges double as Liverpool drug suspect appears in court

LISBON – An East Liverpool man appeared in Columbiana County Common Pleas Court this week expecting to plead guilty to four counts of drug-related charges.

Jason N. Barnes got more than he bargained for. He was served with a secret indictment for four more drug-related charges.

He pleaded guilty to all eight charges.

Barnes, 26, Ashland Avenue, East Liverpool, had been charged in 2012 with two counts of drug trafficking and two counts of possession of drugs. The court documents stated that on Sept. 27, 2012, he had 19 individually packaged bags of heroin and 35 individual packages of cocaine. He was also found to have transaction ledgers and scales at his home when a search warrant was executed.

Additionally, investigators reportedly found amphetamine and buprenorphine in the home on the same date. A specification was issued for all four counts due to the digital scales used for shipment or distribution and $180.

Four new charges were issued by the county grand jury just last week. Barnes was served with the new charges when he arrived for Tuesday’s hearing.

Barnes was charged with drug trafficking for selling or offering for sale less than five grams of cocaine on July 16, 2013. Additionally, he was charged with three new counts of drug possession for cocaine, hydrocodone and oxycodone in his possession on Aug. 15.

Barnes pleaded guilty to the two sets of charges without any amendments. Sentencing is set for Jan. 6.

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