MONDAY’S MOST WANTED HEROIN TRAFFICKER INDICTED AND ARRESTED FOR PROVIDING HEROIN THAT LED TO FATAL OVERDOSE

Posted on 10/20/2016

Defendant: Paris Leigh Hatton

          Prosecutor Ron O’Brien said, “One of the Franklin County Sheriff’s Office Most Wanted, Paris Leigh Hatton, has been arrested for selling the heroin/fentanyl which killed another person in our county.  We will continue to aggressively prosecute these traffickers so they can no longer sell these extremely dangerous drugs in Franklin County.”  Prosecutor Ron O’Brien announced today that the Franklin County Grand Jury has returned an indictment against Paris Leigh Hatton, age 31 for one count Involuntary Manslaughter (F-1), two counts of Corrupting Another With Drugs (F-2), two counts of Aggravated Trafficking in Drugs (F-4), and two counts of Trafficking in Heroin (F-5), for a total of seven counts, for the February 11, 2016 overdose death of Lewis Jemison.  “Including this indictment, in 2016 we have indicted seven individuals for providing the heroin/fentanyl/carfentanil that have led to nine fatalities in our county,” O’Brien stated.  It is alleged that on February 10, 2016, Roger Stumbo and Lewis Jemison purchased heroin and/or fentanyl from Hatton.  Roger gave a portion of the drugs to his wife, Crystal, who then went home and injected herself.  She overdosed and Columbus EMS responded, administering two doses of Narcan, saving her life.  Meanwhile, Jemison left their house to inject himself at UDF.  A short time later, he was located in the intersection of Talbert Drive and Noe-Bixby Road, unresponsive.  Jemison was transported to the hospital where he died on February 11, 2016.

            O’Brien commended the medics for their immediate life-saving response and assistance, the Franklin County Sheriff’s Office, as well as the Franklin County Sheriff’s Heroin Overdose Prevention and Education (HOPE) Task Force for their continued follow up with victims following overdose incidents where their lives have been saved.

            Hatton is scheduled to be arraigned tomorrow, Friday, October 21st at 1:30 pm in courtroom 2B at 345 S. High Street in downtown Columbus.