MOUNT VERNON — The occupant of an alleged Knox County drug house pleaded not guilty to four felony drug-related charges on Wednesday.
John Welch was indicted on March 27 and charged with four separate charges:
- Permitting drug abuse, a fifth-degree felony
- Aggravated possession of drugs, a third-degree felony, in which Welch knowingly obtained, possessed or used methamphetamine
- Two counts of aggravated trafficking in drugs, third-degree felonies
The indictment also states Welch knew or had reasonable cause to believe the methamphetamine was intended for sale or resale by Welch or another person.
The Knox County Sheriff’s Office boarded up Welch’s residence at 21278 Wooster Road on March 20 after the county prosecutor’s office filed an ex parte injunction to have it declared a nuisance.
The premises has been the subject of an ongoing investigation by the KCSO and Danville Police Department for illegal drug activity.
According to 911 data, law enforcement has been to the residence 20 times between January 1, 2021, and March 17, 2023.
At Welch’s arraignment in the Knox County Common Pleas Courthouse on Wednesday, Assistant County Prosecutor Nicole Derr said that according to reports from neighbors and local law enforcement, Welch has been at the 21278 Wooster Road property after the injunction was filed.
Also at court, Welch signed a personal recognizance bond with one of the rules being he is not to visit the Wooster Road property.
As of Wednesday afternoon, a jury trial date has not been scheduled, according to the court’s docket.
