GUERNSEY COUNTY, Ohio – On September 22, Kristopher Whitehair, 40, of Cambridge, was sentenced to 13 to 16 years in prison by the Guernsey County Common Pleas Court for his role in a drug trafficking operation, according to Guernsey County Sheriff Jeffrey D. Paden
The case was investigated by the Guernsey County Sheriff’s Office Investigations Division, with assistance from the Road Division. The investigation determined that on January 28, 2025, Whitehair and James Edwards, 47, also of Cambridge, traveled to the Columbus area to obtain narcotics for distribution in Guernsey County.
As the suspects returned to Whitehair’s residence, deputies attempted a traffic stop near State Route 209 in western Guernsey County. Whitehair initially refused to stop and discarded a large quantity of fentanyl and methamphetamine into the yard of an unsuspecting resident. He eventually stopped the vehicle in a snowy, grassy area near his home, where deputies apprehended him before he could exit.
A search of the area and Whitehair’s residence led to the seizure of:
- A significant amount of fentanyl
- A fentanyl/xylazine mixture
- Methamphetamine
- A .25 caliber firearm
Both Whitehair and Edwards were arrested and charged with multiple drug-related offenses. Edwards previously pleaded guilty in a related investigation and was sentenced to 10 to 13 years in prison.
Sheriff Paden commended the joint efforts of the Investigations and Road Divisions, emphasizing the importance of continued collaboration in dismantling local drug trafficking networks.
