PIQUA — An alleged drug dealer is off the street along with a substantial amount of fentanyl following a Piqua police investigation, a portion of which ended with an arrest on Monday afternoon.
Deputy Chief Marty Grove with the Piqua Police Department said, “Based on information obtained through the investigation, which included information from citizens in Piqua, we were able to interrupt a drug deal which took place in front of R-Pets on Covington Avenue.”
“During the course of that,” said Grove, “Johnathan Van Atta was taken into custody.”
Van Atta, 45, lives in Piqua but is believed to be staying in Dayton. He was found in possession of 38 capsules of suspected fentanyl.
Grove said that Van Atta is suspected to have supplied fentanyl that resulted in an overdose in Piqua an early April, in which the person who overdosed required Narcan in order to be revived. That alleged action resulted in Van Atta being charged with a second-degree felony corrupting another with drugs.
In addition to the charge of corrupting another with drugs, Van Atta is also charged with possession of drugs, a fifth-degree felony, and trafficking in drugs, a felony of the fourth-degree.
Van Atta was taken to the Miami County Jail where he is currently being held on a total bond of $115,000. A preliminary hearing for Van Atta is scheduled for May 3.
The investigation into the incident is ongoing. Grove said it is possible that additional charges may be filed against Van Atta.