Liles with attorney Mike Miller at Allen County Common Pleas Court Thursday.
The Lima News
LIMA — A Lima man accused of participating in a drug trafficking ring in 2021 is attempting to suppress evidence from his case.
Lashane Liles, 49, faces several drug trafficking and possession charges, along with having weapons under disability and engaging in a pattern of corrupt activity charges. His lawyer, Mark Miller, filed four motions to suppress evidence, including evidence obtained from a search warrant on an Orena Avenue home, statements to law enforcement, Liles’ arrest and a postal package search.
According to testimony at a hearing Thursday from Mark Kudley, an inspector for the United States Postal Inspection Service, a home to which Liles was connected was found to receive multiple packages addressed to various people from California. He said this is common in the mailing of drugs.
Kudley said one package was intercepted and a K-9 dog detected the smell of drugs, which, when tested after a warrant was obtained, were found to contain fentanyl.
Miller questioned whether the K-9 drug was certified to detect the smell of fentanyl.
FBI Special Agent Andrew Eilerman, who specializes in gangs and drug trafficking, testified that in the surveillance of several homes on Orena Avenue, Liles, along with other individuals, were observed picking up packages from one home in the block and transporting them elsewhere.
He said his team set up a controlled drug package delivery, where they observed a man who appeared to be Liles placing a package inside the Orena Avenue home after Kudley, dressed as a USPS worker, dropped it off with fake drugs inside.
Miller also questioned whether Eilerman properly Mirandized Liles, as the agent said he had the defendant read his own rights out loud. Eilerman also said there was about a three-minute break between two interview recordings, and he did not re-advise Liles of his rights in the second conversation.
The state provided recordings of the interviews and copies of affidavits and search warrants for Allen County Common Pleas Court Judge Jeffrey Reed to review. Miller has until March 6 to submit a written closing argument for review. The state then has two weeks to provide a response.
