Ashland Man Indicted Twice in One Day on Multiple Drug and Evidence Tampering Charges
ASHLAND — An Ashland man is now facing two separate indictments handed down the same day by an Ashland County Grand Jury, charging him with multiple counts of drug trafficking, drug possession, and evidence tampering.
First Indictment: Search Warrant Leads to Charges
The first indictment followed a August 6, 2025, METRICH Enforcement Unit search warrant executed at a Vine Street residence in Ashland. Detectives with the Ashland Police Division, along with deputies from the Ashland County Sheriff’s Office assigned to METRICH, arrested Damian Vandriest, 30.
That indictment charged Vandriest with:
Aggravated Possession of Drugs (Fifth Degree Felony) — involving 1.623 grams of methamphetamine, a Schedule II controlled substance.
Tampering with Evidence (Third Degree Felony) — alleging that Vandriest knowingly altered, destroyed, or concealed evidence with intent to impair its availability during the investigation.
Court records indicate Vandriest was booked into the Ashland County Jail following his arrest.
Second Indictment: Trafficking Near a School
On the same day, the grand jury issued a second indictment under case number 25-CRI-127, alleging six additional felony counts tied to incidents in early May 2025.
According to the indictment, Vandriest is accused of trafficking and possessing methamphetamines on three separate dates — May 1, May 5, and May 7 — with each offense occurring in the vicinity of St. Edward School in Ashland:
Counts One & Two: Aggravated Trafficking in Drugs (F2) and Aggravated Possession of Drugs (F3) — May 1, involving 3.06 grams of methamphetamines.
Counts Three & Four: Aggravated Trafficking in Drugs (F2) and Aggravated Possession of Drugs (F3) — May 5, involving 3.02 grams of methamphetamines.
Counts Five & Six: Aggravated Trafficking in Drugs (F3) and Aggravated Possession of Drugs (F5) — May 7, involving 1.07 grams of methamphetamines.
Ohio law imposes stiffer penalties when drug trafficking offenses are committed near a school or in the presence of juveniles.
Bond and Court Proceedings
Vandriest’s bond in the second case was set at $50,000, which may be posted as a surety bond, property bond, or cash deposit.
With the two indictments combined, Vandriest is now facing eight separate felony charges ranging from fifth-degree to second-degree felonies.
Ongoing Focus on Drug Enforcement
Local law enforcement continues to target methamphetamine trafficking in Ashland County. Authorities emphasize the seriousness of cases involving drug sales near schools, citing the elevated risk to children and the broader community.
The METRICH Enforcement Unit, a multi-jurisdictional drug task force, has carried out a series of investigations in Ashland in recent months, with Vandriest’s case being one of the latest to reach the grand jury stage.
