South Point — A South Point man is facing being prosecuted as a major drug offender after officers raided his home and found more than 700 grams of methamphetamine.

On May 5, the Lawrence Drug and Major Crimes Task Force and the Huntington Violent Crime Drug Task Force executed a narcotics search warrant in South Point.

During the execution of the warrant, authorities seized approximately 710 grams of methamphetamine, two firearms and several hundred dollars in cash. The amount of methamphetamine recovered exceeds 100 times the bulk amount defined for a Schedule II controlled substance, qualifying the offense for a major drug offender (MDO) specification under Ohio law.

Douglas Smith, 44, of South Point, was arrested at the scene and has been charged with first-degree felony possession of controlled substances, first-degree felony aggravated trafficking in drugs, third-degree felony having weapons while under disability, fifth-degree felony receiving proceeds of an offense subject to forfeiture proceeding. The MDO specification significantly increases the severity of potential penalties if convicted. The case has been sent to the Lawrence County Common Pleas Court of Judge Christen Finley.

The Lawrence County Sheriff’s Office and Lawrence County EMS also assisted in the execution of the search warrant, further demonstrating the strength and effectiveness of cooperative law enforcement efforts in the region.

This case remains under investigation and additional charges may be filed.