Ashland Man Allegedly Turns Meth Pipe Over to Police, Says He Used It Three Hours Earlier
ASHLAND, Ohio — An Ashland man is facing a felony drug charge after authorities allege he went to the Ashland Police Department and voluntarily surrendered a pipe that tested positive for methamphetamine.
Jose Gonzalez, 40, has been charged in Ashland County Common Pleas Court with one count of aggravated possession of drugs, a fifth-degree felony.
According to a complaint filed in Case No. 26-CRI-145, Gonzalez allegedly knowingly obtained, possessed or used methamphetamine in Ashland County on or about Aug. 13, 2026.
In a bond recommendation submitted by Assistant Ashland County Prosecutor Laura Stanley, prosecutors allege Gonzalez went to the police department on Aug. 13 and said he wanted to turn over a meth pipe. Gonzalez told authorities he had used the pipe to smoke methamphetamine approximately three hours earlier.
Police collected the pipe, which allegedly tested positive for methamphetamine, according to the prosecutor’s filing. The state is recommending that the court set a $5,000 bond secured by cash, real estate, securities or a surety bond.
The bond recommendation lists previous contacts with law enforcement, including a 2005 case in Dade County, Florida, that reportedly resulted in diversion, a 2017 third-degree misdemeanor trespassing case through the Ashland Police Department and a 2021 misdemeanor criminal-damaging case. The filing does not indicate that Gonzalez is currently on probation, parole, post-release control or another form of court supervision.
A video bond-setting hearing is scheduled for 11 a.m. Monday, Aug. 17, before Ashland County Common Pleas Court Magistrate Emily M. Bates. The hearing is expected to be conducted through Zoom.
The $5,000 bond remains a recommendation from the prosecution. The court will determine the amount and conditions of Gonzalez’s bond during the scheduled hearing.
The charge against Gonzalez is an allegation. He is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty in court.
