What started as a late-night disturbance call ended with deputies pulling a staggering amount of meth off Scioto County streets—and putting a familiar offender back behind bars.
The Scioto County 911 Communications Center received a call at 8:08 p.m. reporting a man beating on a door and screaming at a woman at a residence on Clayton Court in West Portsmouth.
When officers arrived at the scene, instead of calming down, the situation escalated fast.
Tried to Flee—Didn’t Get Far
As deputies arrived, they spotted a man attempting to leave the area in a silver Nissan Sentra. When deputies tried to stop the vehicle, the driver attempted to drive around them. That plan failed when deputies boxed the car in, preventing him from escaping.
Deputies Travis and Trever McKenzie, along with Deputy Ginn and Deputy Marcum, detained the suspect and began their investigation.
What they found next turned a disturbance call into a full-blown drug trafficking case.
Meth on Him—and a Lot More in the Car
During a search of the suspect, deputies found drug paraphernalia and methamphetamine—commonly referred to on the street as “ice.”
The suspect then consented to a search of his vehicle.
Inside a safe, deputies discovered eight prepackaged bags of methamphetamine. The total amount?
👉 65 TIMES the legal bulk amount.
Also found inside the vehicle:
- Scales
- Three cell phones
- Cash
- Hidden compartments used to conceal drugs
Charges Stack Up Fast
The suspect was identified as Jason E. Blair, 33, of Mabert Road in Portsmouth. He was arrested without incident and taken to the Scioto County Jail.
Blair is now facing a heavy list of charges:
- Aggravated Trafficking in Drugs (F1)
- Aggravated Possession of Drugs (F1)
- Hidden Compartments in a Vehicle (F2)
- Possession of Criminal Tools (F5)
- Drug Paraphernalia (M2)
His bond was set at $73,250, and he is scheduled to appear in Portsmouth Municipal Court on December 29.
Not His First Rodeo
Court records show Blair was already on parole, with prior cases involving:
- Firearms in a vehicle
- Illegal conveyance into a detention facility
- Failure to appear
- Drug possession
His criminal history also includes:
- Multiple OVI arrests
- Driving without a license
- Domestic violence
“A Major Amount Off the Streets”
Sheriff Thoroughman praised the deputies involved, saying their quick response and sharp observations played a critical role in removing a dangerous quantity of drugs from the community.
This wasn’t a small bust—and it wasn’t a close call.
It was a reminder that behind many “routine” disturbance calls lies something far more serious—and that one wrong turn for a suspect can mean dozens of lives spared from meth hitting the streets.
