A total of 17 people from around the Mahoning Valley are charged in a 25-count indictment.  They are accused of being part of a criminal enterprise that would steal to support their drug habit by exchanging stolen goods for drugs, or selling stolen items for cash to buy drugs.

The area's allegedly hardest hit by these suspects were Poland Township and the Springfield area according to Martin Desmond, a Mahoning County Assistant Prosecutor who works with the Mahoning Valley Law Enforcement Task Force.

"It was an investigation that started with a rash of burglaries and car break-ins in the Poland area and the Springfield area.  We were able to identify property and suspects in conjunction with those investigation from the departments themselves. We had drug information concerning these individuals," said Desmond.

By searching two homes, one on West Ravenwood and the other on East Calla Road, Task Force agents were able to recover guns, a syringe, a variety of drugs, a large amount of cash, and suspected stolen property.

"Some of this stems from the individuals having drug addictions.  But what you have here is you have a drug organization of people who went out and committed the property crimes, the burglaries, the thefts, breaking into cars.  There's a string of car break-ins, obviously.  And they would then take it to the drug dealers, and drug dealers would exchange drugs for the money, for the property, what have you.  We then have links, where the money is flowing from the drug dealers hands to purchase vehicles and things like that,"said Desmond.

Task Force Commander, Lieutenant Jeff Solic of Austintown said unfortunately it's a sign of the growing heroin problem.  But, at least for now, Mahoning County communities are safer because of the cooperative effort and hundreds of man hours by officers that worked to take a team of alleged thieves off the streets.  

"It's that coordination and the networking within the Task Force, putting everything together," said Lt. Solic.

Charged in the indictment are:

Janet Bair, 25, Struthers:  Trafficking in Marijuana; Receiving Stolen Property; Illegal Use of Supplemental Nutrition or WIC Program Benefits; Engaging in A Pattern of Corrupt Activity

Michael Lucicosky, 31, New Middletown:  Theft; Breaking and Entering; Having Weapons While Under Disability; Burglary; Receiving Stolen Property; Robbery; Attempted Burglary; Money Laundering; Engaging In A Pattern of Corrupt Activity

Eric Lucicosky, 35, New Middletown:  Having Weapons Under Disability; Receiving Stolen Property; Theft; Robbery; Attempted Burglary; Burglary; Money Laundering; Engaging In A Pattern of Corrupt Activity

Donald Frampton, 28, Youngstown:  Receiving Stolen Property; Illegal Use of Supplemental Nutrition or WIC Program Benefits; Felonious Assault; Engaging In A Pattern of Corrupt Activity

Richard Cvetkovich, II, 30, Girard:  Illegal Use of Supplemental Nutrition or WIC Program Benefits

Jeremiah E. Vinion, 31, Youngstown:  Illegal Use of Supplemental Nutrition or WIC Program Benefits

Dwayne B. Sellers, Jr., 23, Youngstown:  Illegal Use of Supplemental Nutrition or WIC Program Benefits

Shannon L. Hrosar, 35, Struthers:  Illegal Use of Supplemental Nutrition or WIC Program Benefits

Christine L. Carney, 62, Youngstown:  Illegal Use of Supplemental Nutrition or WIC Program Benefits

Percy A. Gianfrancesco, 51, Youngstown:  Illegal Use of Supplemental Nutrition or WIC Program Benefits

Misty Rose White, 21, Youngstown:  Illegal Use of Supplemental Nutrition or WIC Program Benefits

Nicole M. Campana, 34, Struthers:  Illegal Use of Supplemental Nutrition or WIC Program Benefits

Nicholas A. Gianfrancesco, 25, Youngstown:  Illegal Use of Supplemental Nutrition or WIC Program Benefits

Nicole R. Bruno, 27, Girard:  Obstructing Justice

Amanda Lynn Gabrelcik, 19, Austintown:  Obstructing Justice

Joseph Michael Frampton, 24, Youngstown:  Obstructing Justice;  Felonious Assault; Engaging In A Pattern of Corrupt Activity

Brian K. Schaffer, 21, Youngstown:  Felonious Assault

All 17 defendants will appear in Mahoning County Common Pleas Court for their initial appearance Tuesday morning.

Stay tuned to 21 News and wfmj.com for further developments on this story.