U.S. Attorney Justin Herdman and Trumbull County Prosecuting Attorney Dennis Watkins have cross-designated members of their respective offices to work together prosecuting drug trafficking cases, including those involving fatal overdoses.
Trumbull County Assistant Prosecuting Attorney Gina Buccino-Arnaut was sworn in as a Special Assistant United State Attorney and Assistant U.S. Attorney David M. Toepfer was sworn in as a Trumbull County Assistant Prosecuting Attorney.
The cross designation will allow both offices to better share information and work on each other’s cases, allowing for more effective and efficient prosecutions of drug traffickers.
Herdman has made combating opioids and other drugs in Trumbull County a priority, providing additional resources to help analyze drug trafficking patterns in the region. The office can also seek additional penalties in federal court in cases where it can prove the sale of a specific drug resulted in the death of another person.
“This continuing partnership will allow our offices to work together to help make Trumbull County safer," Herdman said. “We look forward to continuing to work with all our law enforcement partners in the region."
Source: U.S. Department of Justice, Office of the United States Attorneys
