A Leeesburg man has been indicted by a grand jury, along with several others, as part of a covert drug investigation into a network of heroin traffickers operating in Fayette County.

According to court records, confidential informants working in Fayette County with the Washington C.H. Police Department, Fayette County Sheriff’s Office and U.S. 23 Major Crimes Task Force ordered thousands of dollars worth of heroin through undercover purchases at multiple locations. The investigation reportedly began in October of 2015 and involved 17 undercover deals. The deals allegedly took place at at least five separate businesses, more than seven residences and once along the side of a road.

• Nathanial C. Stroud, 31, of Elm Street in Leesburg, was indicted Sept. 9 on two counts of trafficking in heroin and was arraigned in November. An informal pretrial hearing is scheduled for Dec. 19.

According to court records, a confidential informant working undercover allegedly attempted to purchase heroin from Francis, Albert L. Francis Jr., aka “Manny,” but allegedly Francis told the informant to purchase the heroin from Stroud.

• Francis Jr., 36, of Dayton, was indicted Sept. 9 on four charges of trafficking in heroin, two charges of trafficking in cocaine, aggravated trafficking in drugs and engaging in a pattern of corrupt activity. He was arraigned in October. Francis is scheduled for a final pretrial hearing Monday.

According to court records, a confidential informant working undercover and carrying a digital video recorder, purchased $100 in heroin from Francis using prerecorded bills March 31, 2016 at a residence in the 900 block of Gregg Street in Washington C.H. Again on April 15, 2016, a confidential informant working undercover and carrying a digital video recorder allegedly purchased heroin from Francis using prerecorded bills. The transaction for $40 in heroin was allegedly conducted near a car wash in Washington C.H.

• Rita F. Groves, 57, of Washington C.H., was indicted Sept. 9 on one charge of trafficking in heroin. Groves pled guilty Monday in the Fayette County Court of Common Pleas to one count of trafficking in heroin, a fifth-degree felony. During Monday’s court appearance, Groves was told that she would be drug tested and stated that she would test positive for percocet that is prescribed for her seizures. Groves is scheduled for sentencingon Feb. 6.

According to court records, a confidential informant working undercover attempted to purchase heroin from Francis, but Francis told the informant to purchase the heroin from Groves.

• Sean K. McKittrick, 36, was indicted Sept. 9 for trafficking in heroin and trafficking in cocaine. He was also facing forgery charges after passing a bad check at Carroll Halliday on Columbus Avenue in Washington C.H. He plead guilty to forgery, a fifth-degree felony, and trafficking in heroin, a fourth-degree felony, and was sentenced on Nov. 14 to 180 days in the Monday Program, a community-based in-patient treatment facility in Dayton, and received a six-month driver’s license suspension.

According to court records, a confidential informant working undercover allegedly attempted to purchase heroin from Francis, but Francis told the informant to purchase the heroin from McKittrick.

• Larry Young, 36, of Washington C.H., was indicted Sept. 9 on one charge of trafficking in heroin, a fourth-degree felony.

According to court records, a confidential informant working undercover attempted to purchase heroin from Francis, but allegedly Francis told the informant to purchase the heroin from Young.

Young’s final pretrial is scheduled in the Fayette County Court of Common Pleas on Jan. 19.

• Alissa K. Bonecutter, 28, of Washinton C.H., was indicted in September on multiple drug charges including two counts of aggravated trafficking in drugs and four counts of trafficking in heroin. She plead guilty Monday to two counts of aggravated trafficking in drugs, fentanyl, felonies of the fourth degree, and one count of trafficking in heroin, a fifth-degree felony, in a jointly recommended plea and sentence.

A confidential informant told detectives Bonecutter was allegedly purchasing heroin from Francis in 2015.

An undercover officer and a confidential informant called Bonecutter Oct. 15, 2015 and ordered $120 in heroin, according to court records. Bonecutter instructed the informant to meet her behind a business on Court Street and sold the informant .92 grams in heroin. The informant paid with prerecorded bills. The informant gave the undercover officer the baggie of purchased heroin and it was handed over to the sheriff’s office as evidence and sent to BCI. Additional heroin transactions were conducted between informants and Bonecutter on Oct. 28 and Oct. 30, 2015. Then on Dec. 15, 2015, an informant allegedly purchased $150 in heroin from Bonecutter from a house in the Washington C.H. The on Feb. 4, 2016, an informant was allegedly able to purchase $50 in heroin from Bonecutter at a residence she was at in the 400 block of Peddicord Avenue.

Bonecutter was convicted of trafficking in heroin in 2014 and served a nine-month prison sentence, according to court records. During Monday’s plea hearing, the state recommended Bonecutter serve an 18-month prison sentence on the three charges she plead guilty to. Her sentencing hearing is scheduled for Dec. 29.

• Derrick D. Thomas, aka “Nephew,” 26, of Dayton, was indicted Sept. 9 on four charges of trafficking in heroin, three charges of trafficking in cocaine, two charges of aggravated trafficking in drugs, and one charge of engaging in a pattern of corrupt activity. Thomas is scheduled for a final pretrial hearing Feb. 21. He is currently incarcerated in the Fayette County Jail with a $50,000 cash-only bond.

According to court records, a confidential informant working undercover purchased 6.4 grams of heroin from Thomas for $400 April 25, 2016 in Washington C.H. The confidential informant allegedly paid with prerecorded bills and was carrying an audio recorder. On Oct. 13, 2015, a confidential informant allegedly purchased $20 in cocaine from Thomas at a residence in Washington C.H. using a prerecorded bill.

• Carla A. Doctor, 45, of Washington C.H., was indicted Sept. 9 on charges of trafficking in heroin and trafficking in cocaine and was arraigned in October. A final pretrial hearing is scheduled for Monday.

According to court records, a confidential informant working undercover attempted to purchase heroin from Thomas, but Thomas told the informant to allegedly purchase the heroin from Doctor.

According to court records, once the investigation was finished, detectives opened a case on Raymond E. Baker, 32, of Chillicothe, for allegedly trafficking in heroin.

Baker was indicted Sept. 9 on charges of engaging in a pattern of corrupt activity, a second-degree felony, and trafficking in heroin, a fifth-degree felony. He is currently being held in the Fayette County Jail with a $50,000 cash-only bond and is awaiting pretrial services.

In a report included with court records, confidential informants working undercover allegedly attempted to purchase heroin from Baker and he sent a “runner” to conduct the transaction. The “runner” told the undercover informants that she allegedly allowed Thomas and Baker to use her residence as a place to sell drugs. The “runner” allegedly said that Thomas and Baker did not work together to sell drugs, but that when one is out of narcotics they refer the clientele to the other one.

Reach Ashley at (740) 313-0355 or on Twitter @ashbunton.