CHILLICOTHE, Ohio — A traffic stop on North Mulberry Street led to multiple drug-related arrests following a hit-and-run incident reported on the evening of September 15, 2024.
At approximately 11:43 PM, officers responded to a dispatch report of a maroon Ford involved in a hit-and-run collision at Central Center. The vehicle, matching the description provided, was spotted on East Water Street and subsequently stopped on North Mulberry Street.
During the stop, officers observed drug paraphernalia inside the vehicle. The driver, Johnny Conley, was found to have a cut straw with a white powdery substance on the floor of his vehicle, along with another red straw in the center console. The passenger, Nathaniel Ferenbaugh, was seen discarding an unknown object out of the window.
Both individuals were removed from the vehicle and detained. Conley was handcuffed and informed of his rights. A search of Conley’s person uncovered two plastic baggies: one containing a large amount of white powder and the other a small rocky substance. Further inspection of the vehicle revealed additional drugs and paraphernalia, including two glass pipes with residue and another baggie of white powder.
The search continued outside the vehicle, where two more baggies with a rocky substance were discovered, which Ferenbaugh had attempted to conceal. During questioning, both Conley and Ferenbaugh admitted to recently purchasing the narcotics and heading home. Conley later disclosed that he also had a syringe in his waistband, which he used for injecting fentanyl.
Conley was arrested for possession of drug paraphernalia and drug abuse instruments, while Ferenbaugh faced additional charges of tampering with evidence and a warrant arrest. Both men were transported to the Ross County Jail, where they were booked on the aforementioned charges.
The vehicle was towed, and all seized items were placed into evidence. The narcotics will be sent to the Ohio Bureau of Criminal Investigation (BCI) for further testing. The investigation is ongoing.
