“ARREST MADE!” … “INDICTMENTS RELEASED!” … “FIGHTING EXTRADITION!”
The headlines have blared the unexpected over the last two weeks since an Oklahoma native was apprehended in Hawaii and charged with double aggravated murder 18 days ago in a three-year case that was never close to “cold.”
Andrew Isaac Griffin was arrested on February 18th in Hilo, Hawaii, for the murders of Thomas and Agela Strussion on September 21, 2021, in Belmont, Ohio. The homicides shocked and rocked the region, and on a number of occasions Belmont County Sheriff James Zusack reminded residents that Chief Detective Ryan Allar and his staff were working every lead every day since.
But when it comes to the daily operation of the Belmont County Sheriff’s Office, protecting and serving – and everything that goes with those duties – is expected without excuse. That may sound cliché and it may be, but no one cares when it comes to fighting crime.
“The murder case is definitely a big deal for us, but we have a county to protect on a daily basis and that means we all have to go to work every single day for the people of Belmont County,” Sheriff Zusack explained. “An example of that is the recent drug bust our Criminal Interdiction Unit made that took a lot of narcotics off the streets.
“All of our people work very hard to achieve their goals no matter what’s going on with the double homicide case,” he said. ‘Our deputies are always working on something that will keep our people safer from the people who are breaking the law. That’s what we do every day. We have people taking care of the murder case, but everyone else has plenty to do, trust me.”
Last week, the sheriff’s office issued a press release explaining that 33-year-old Cortez Shipp, also known as “Yo-Yo,” of Canton, and 29-year-old Mikayla Fansler, of Coshocton, were arrested at a local hotel on multiple felony charges, including drug trafficking, drug possession, tampering with evidence, and manufacturing drugs. The report revealed that during the arrest, Shipp allegedly attempted to destroy evidence by placing suspected drugs in the toilet.
There were materials discovered usually utilized to manufacture and package the narcotics, and deputies seized 189 grams of methamphetamine, 42 grams of fentanyl, 43 grams of crack cocaine, and $1,800 in suspected drug proceeds. Plus, detectives located 30-year-old Cryshawn Blackford, known as “Tech 9,” of Canton, in another room. The three individuals will face multiple charges in connection with the raid.
“The drug trafficking in this area is like an ocean because the waves keep coming,” Zusack said. “We could have saved lives with that drug best, and that’s the best part of what we do as law enforcement officers. That’s why we are fighting this battle as hard as possible.
“As I have said since the homicides took place more than three years ago, our investigators are working with the prosecutor’s office now that the indictments have been handed down,” he said. “There’s a lot more to what we do on a daily basis.”
Day-In & Day-Out
Most days in the Upper Ohio Valley, news outlets offer coverage about fundraisers, sporting events, and people profiles, but unfortunately over the past 15 years, drug trafficking, overdoses, and tragic deaths have entered into the realm of reality.
That’s why Sheriff Zusack and Chief Deputy Glenn Moore have initiated monthly meetings with Belmont County’s police chiefs and other first responders.
“That’s one thing I started when I took office and we’re having another next week in Shadyside with Chief (Don) Collette hosting,” the sheriff reported. “That lets us share information with each other and to tell each other what they see happening in their part of Belmont County.
“Our departments need to work together, and we need to work with law enforcement on the state and federal levels when cases like the double murder need as many resources as possible,” he explained. “This big drug bust took the drugs and the dealers off the streets, but there will be new people committing the same crimes. That’s what we’re up against right now here in Belmont County.”
Moore was a lieutenant before Zusack selected him in January as his chief deputy, a position that now has him supervising a plethora of day-in and day-out aspects of the office as the No. 2 in charge.
“There’s so much more that goes into the operation of the sheriff’s department here in Belmont County,” he explained. “Sure, there’s the news that makes the headlines, but there’s so much more that people never really hear about unless it directly affects you and your world. An example of that is that we’ve seen an increase in car break-ins in some areas of the county, and you never know about those things unless your car is one of the vehicles that have been entered.
“Honestly, it’s never ending for us, and no one is complaining about it. It’s our job, and we’re here because we love what we do for the people if the county,” he said. “There are so many investigations conducted that end with arrests being made and convictions taking place that don’t result in press releases being written and sent out. It’s just what we do.”
Moore was graduated from West Liberty State College in 1997 with a B.S. in Criminal Justice, and he was hired part time at the Belmont County Sheriff’s Office in January 1997 and full time in July of 1998. He’s climbed the department’s ladder since and now serves as the FOP/OLC union representative and president.
‘“There’s a lot of responsibilities that come with the position of Chief Deputy here in Belmont County, but Sheriff Zusack did a great job for almost 10 years and he’s here to answer all of my questions,” Moore said. “We all have our daily duties and we have our goals, but we have to operate the jail, protect the courts, patrol the county constantly, and we have to work with our residents.
“Drugs are a big problem everywhere in the Upper Ohio Valley, so our deputies work very hard to find them and the people dealing them so we can get the problem off the streets even though we realize there’s plenty more out there,” the chief deputy explained. “So, for every time you hear about something in the news, there’s probably seven other cases we’re involved with that you’ll never hear about. That’s just the nature of law enforcement and that’s OK with us.”
