CHILLICOTHE, Ohio — A multi-agency undercover investigation on Jan. 6 led to the arrest of a Chillicothe man accused of attempting to meet a juvenile and bring illegal drugs to the encounter, according to a detailed report from the Chillicothe Police Department.
Detectives working with state and federal partners were conducting an undercover operation targeting suspected sexual offenders in Ross County when investigators identified Brett Barnhart as a suspect. Authorities say Barnhart agreed through online communications to meet what he believed was a 14-year-old girl at a Subway restaurant located at 774 N. High St. in Chillicothe.
According to police, Barnhart told the undercover agent he would bring “hard boiled eggs” to a “lunch party.” Detectives stated the phrase is commonly used as slang for crack cocaine, based on their training and experience.
Officers set up surveillance in the area and observed Barnhart driving a green Toyota Tacoma with Ohio license plate “BREWTUS.” Investigators reported that Barnhart drove past the Subway multiple times, parked briefly at a nearby BP gas station, and then requested via text message that the juvenile walk outside toward Orange Street.
Marked patrol units were alerted, and Barnhart was stopped at the intersection of Piatt Avenue and Orange Street by Chillicothe Police K-9 Officer Caleb Sizemore, with assistance from the Ohio State Highway Patrol.
During the traffic stop, K-9 Reg conducted a free-air sniff of the vehicle and displayed behavior consistent with detecting the odor of narcotics, police said. Officers then searched the vehicle and recovered two Samsung cell phones, more than $1,500 in cash, and a cigarette pack hidden beneath a loose cup holder in the center console.
Inside the cigarette pack, detectives reported finding several pieces of a white, rock-like substance that Barnhart later admitted was crack cocaine, along with a glass pipe and Chore Boy material commonly associated with drug use.
Barnhart was taken into custody and transported to the Ross County Jail. Police said he was advised of his Miranda rights and declined to answer questions without an attorney present. Due to the nature of the online communications and the suspected intent to provide drugs to a minor, Barnhart was arrested on a charge of corrupting another with drugs.
Investigators seized the vehicle and electronic devices as evidence. Search warrants were later obtained for the cell phones and vehicle, with the phones turned over to the Ohio State Highway Patrol Cyber Crimes Unit for forensic analysis. The suspected crack cocaine will be sent to the Ohio Bureau of Criminal Investigation for laboratory testing.
The investigation remains ongoing.
