BSERGENT@MYDAILYSENTINEL.COM

SYRACUSE — A Syracuse man has been arrested for alleged possession and trafficking of heroin in Athens County.

According to a spokesperson from the Athens Post of the Ohio State Highway Patrol, on July 17, Curtis S. Neigler, 26, Syracuse, was arrested after troopers made a routine traffic stop on US 33 near the Chauncey exit. The spokesperson said the traffic stop was initially made due to the cracked windshield of a vehicle Neigler was riding in.

As the traffic stop ensued, the spokesperson said 88 balloons of suspected heroin was allegedly recovered from Neigler. Neigler was charged with trafficking in drugs, heroin, a felony of the third degree as well as possession of drugs, heroin, a felony of the fifth degree.

A call to the Athens County Prosecuting Attorney’s Office about a possible indictment against Neigler had not been returned by press time though an Athens County Grand Jury met on Monday. Neigler is currently being held at the Southeast Ohio Regional Jail.

A bust of 88 balloons of alleged heroin was considered “significant” according to the OSHP spokesperson.

A number of law enforcement officials are seeing an upswing in heroin usage in the area due in large part to the skyrocketing street prices of OxyContin which was repackaged by drug company Purdue Pharma to make it more difficult to abuse - i.e., more difficult to be broken, chewed or dissolved by addicts who crave a heroin-like high. Addicts are bypassing OxyContin for the more “cost effective” high of real heroin which is actually significantly cheaper than OxyContin on the streets.