Heroin Problem Spreading To Columbus Suburbs

Michael Stechison was raised with his sister by a single mother in Upper Arlington.  
 
"Other than my father not being around, it was a totally normal, pretty happy childhood," Stechison said.
 
At a young age, he showed interest in the arts and his work landed him a scholarship to the Columbus College of Art and Design.
 
"I thought, 'Oh this is great.  You know, I've done it,'" said Sandy Stechison, his mother.  "He's at college and he's got this scholarship and he's so talented and I'm so proud."
 
Just months out of high school, he threw it all away, 10TV's Andy Hirsch reported.
 
"I didn't ever think I was going to be a heroin addict," Michael Stechison said.
 
According to the Drug Enforcement Administration, black tar heroin has exploded in central Ohio over the past few years.  It comes straight from Mexican drug cartels -- specifically targeting Columbus in part -- because of its location and access to other parts of the Midwest.
 
At about $5 or $10 a hit, black tar heroin is inexpensive and easy to find, even in places people might least expect, Hirsch reported.
 
"We'd go to the suburbs to get it," Michael Stechison said.  "Even when I was living downtown, we went to north Upper Arlington to get it."
 
An undercover Drug Enforcement Administration agent sat with 10TV News in a suburban mall parking lot to watch what he described as a typical heroin deal in the works.  
 
After sitting for about 20 minutes, the buyer often receives a message to move to a new location, often a gas station or pharmacy parking lot.  
 
According to the DEA, It is not uncommon for drugs and money to exchange hands during the day on neighborhood streets, Hirsch reported.
 
"You have it in Dublin, you have it in Westerville, you have it in Worthington.  You have it everywhere," DEA Agent Anthony Marotta said.  "Unfortunately the abusers that we see are younger and younger."
 
The Ohio Department of Alcohol and Drug Addiction Services has seen a steady rise in young people looking for help with their opiate addiction.
 
In 2005, 56 people who were 19 years old and younger were either living in or receiving treatment in Franklin County.   In 2010, the number jumped to 162.  Some are just 12 and 13 years old.  They were the ones accounted for by the state.
 
"I'm kind of a last resort guy," said Dr. Andy Erkis, a drug and alcohol counselor.  "By the time you find me, parents know, 'Look.  We're in big trouble.  We've got to do something drastic.'"
 
The heroin addicts Erkis typically helps are young and come from wealthy families looking to keep the problem private.  His consulting firm works to place young addicts in treatment facilities across the U.S., sometimes for a year or longer.
 
Almost all of the children Erkis sees who are addicted to heroin got their start popping prescription pills.
 
"It's a slippery slope because kids are smart," Erkis said.  "They know what opiates are, they know what heroin is and heroin is a lot cheaper.  Before they know it, they're snorting heroin, they're shooting up and then they're lost.  They're in big trouble."
 
Attorney Brad Koffel said that children do not understand how dangerous the problem is.  He specializes in representing people with drug and alcohol problems for crimes tied to their addictions.
 
"It hijacks them -- completely hijacks these kids -- and turns them into zombies," Koffel said.
 
Koffel represents Michael Stechison.  Last year, his client used a fake gun and held up five businesses in broad daylight, including an Upper Arlington ice cream store and coffee shop.
 
Michael Stechison said that after manipulating friends, stealing from family members and getting away with small-time crimes, he was out of money and out of heroin.
 
"No thought went into it," he said.  "It was just, what do I need to do to get high?  There's money there and money gets me heroin.  That's basically all that went through my head."
 
Police soon caught up with Michael Stechison.  While his crimes were extreme, some in law enforcement estimate 80 to 90 percent of crime in their communities can be tied to heroin and pill addicts.
 
"It's getting worse.  There's no light at the end of the tunnel," Marotta said.
 
The advice from Michael and Sandy Stechison is to know heroin is probably in your neighborhood and know that no one is immune from getting hooked.
 
"There's kids in high school, right now, taking heroin," Sandy Stechison said.  "Maybe some action can be taken so they don't end up in this kind of trouble."
 
After spending several months in an out-of-state, intensive treatment program, Michael Stechison is behind bars in Franklin County.  While his attorney will point to Stechison's treatment and ongoing recovery as a reason for a shorter sentence, he faces up to 25 years in prison.
 
Local, state and federal agencies in Ohio have started heroin task forces and interdiction teams.  Investigators said that as long as there is money to be made, the cartels will continue to flood the area with black tar heroin.
 
Stay with 10TV News and 10TV.com for additional information.