Updated Tuesday, 5/1 – The Northcentral Drug Enforcement Group recently arrested six individuals as part of an ongoing investigation into the sale and use of heroin.

Arrested as a result of this investigation are Rogerick E. Simmons, age 44, of Rhinelander, Paul N. Dietz, age 31, of Rhinelander, Veronica J. Wells, age 37, of Rhinelander, Dominique A. Jones, age 20, of Rhinelander , Elliot J. Boyer, age 21, of Rhinelander, and Clifford L. Dutton, age 29, of Rhinelander. These individuals have been referred to the Oneida County District Attorney’s Office for various charges related to the sale or use of heroin. This investigation is ongoing and additional arrests are expected.

Sheriff Jeffrey Hoffman and Rhinelander Police Chief Mike Steffes both want to inform the public of the dangers related to heroin trafficking and use. Heroin is a very addictive drug and is a health hazard for the community as users commonly ingest the drug by use of needles. Other health related issues include quality of life and communicable diseases due to the sharing of needles. Overdoses and death are often associated with heroin use. Sheriff Hoffman and Chief Steffes praised the investigating officers for their quick response in bringing this investigation to a close.

This arrest was part of an ongoing controlled substance investigation by the Northcentral Drug Enforcement Group (NORDEG) Task Force. Participating agencies in this investigation included the Rhinelander Police Department and the Oneida County Sheriff’s Office. Photographs of the arrested subjects are available at starjournalnow.com/multimedia/photos/149713355.html.