Recordpub.com - Police bust plane in Stow with cocaine Los Angeles cops tip off local authorities

Record-Courier staff report

A drug shipment flown into the Kent State University airport on S.R. 59 in Stow resulted in the arrest of three men late Friday night.

Officers with the Los Angeles office of Immigration and Customs Enforcement notified the KSU police department Friday evening of a shipment of cocaine bound for the airport. KSU police notified the Stow police department at 9:42 p.m., and officers from several area departments converged on the airport in anticipation of the plane's arrival, according to a press release issued by KSU.

Shortly after 10 p.m., officers discovered Robert Hawes, Jr., sitting in a Toyota Tundra parked in the airport's parking lot. Officers detained Hawes for questioning, and minutes later a 2006 Cessna 182 approached an airport runway and landed.

Several police cruisers, which had been staged in the area, surrounded the plane and ordered the pilot and his one passenger out. A Kent police K-9 searched the plane and officers removed 30 one-kilo packages of what is suspected to be cocaine.

The pilot of the plane was identified as Malcolm Sales, and the passenger was identified as Tommy Gonzales. All three men were charged with possession of drugs, a first-degree felony, and were taken to the Summit County jail. The men are being held awaiting an arraignment Monday. Federal charges are pending, according to the Stow police statement.

None of the suspects have any ties or affiliations with Kent State University, according to Stow police.

KSU Flight Operations and Commercial Aviation Corporation operate out of the KSU airport. Both entities offer flight instruction services and aircraft rental. The airport is at 4020 S.R. 59 in Stow located just west of Kent.

Officers with the KSU, Stow, and Kent police departments cooperated in the arrest with assistance from the Ohio State Highway Patrol, Drug Enforcement and Immigration and Customs Enforcement agencies.

Posted by billshane342 May 7, 2008

The KSU airport is in Summit County and the city of Stow,so Kaley has NO jurisdiction there.
The KSU police do have jurisdiction since it is college property, however, KSU is prmarily in Kent, ie, portage county and the KSU PD are used to the Portage Court system.
So, KSUPD "let" Stow take the bust knowing that Stow PD is very experienced in operating within Summit county and its court system.
Besides, Kaley most likely would NOT have even talked with other departments, unless he HAD to.

This is based on years and years of experience seeing how Kaley has never played well with others.
But it is:
Too bad Vic Vigluicci could not prosecute the case. He does a great job when it comes to big time dope cases, too bad this one was in Summit co. We'll see how they do things.