Burglary investigation leads to alleged drug stash discovery

Two Batavia residents are accused of being drug dealers after Sheriff's investigator went to their house on an unrelated matter and allegedly spotted controlled substances in plain view inside their South Main Street residence.

A search warrant was secured and investigators claim they seized crack cocaine, heroin, marijuana, hydrocodone pills, clonazapam pills, detroamphetamine pills and a hydromorphone pill.

Arrested were Kevin J. O'Connell Jr., 33, and Samantha L. Hicks, 26.

The investigator went to their South Main Street residence to speak with a person who reported a burglary.

After spotting what he believed to be narcotics, the location was secured and the Local Drug Enforcement Task Force was called in along with uniformed deputies and K-9 Destro.

O'Connell and Hicks are both charged with criminal possession of a controlled substance, 3rd, a Class B felony that indicates investigators believe they had enough narcotics that they were selling the drugs.

O'Connell is also charged with criminal possession of a controlled substance, 4th, criminal possession of marijuana, 4th, and criminal possession of a controlled substance, 7th.

Besides the three counts of criminal possession, 3rd, Hicks is charged with criminal possession of a controlled substance, 5th, and three counts of criminal possession of a controlled substance, 7th. She is also charged with criminal possession of marijuana, 4th.

O'Connell was jailed without bail and bail was set at $10,000 for Hicks.