Police: Man Faces Felony for Providing Drugs to Girls

Michael E. Rosales, 21, of North Canton, was arrested July 23 after a concerned father tipped police that Rosales was allegedly inviting underage girls to his apartment and providing them with marijuana. 

Officers first responded to Rosales' apartment, located at 115 Hillcrest Ave. NW, on July 20, detected the smell of marijuana and spotted two girls inside the residence, said North Canton Police Sgt. Shawn Bates.

Officers convinced the pair of underage teens to come out of the apartment and each were cited with marijuana possession, a minor-misdemeanor.

Following an investigation, police returned to the Hillcrest apartment on July 23, issued an arrest warrant and charged Rosales with corrupting another with drugs, a third-degree felony. 

Bates said the charge is typically a fourth-degree felony, but after working with the prosecutor's office, they were able to elevate the charge since Rosales lives within 1,000 feet of the Mary L. Evans Early Childhood Center, located at 301 Portage St. NW. 

Rosales was taken to Stark County Jail, and subsequently released on bond. 

Rosales will appear in Canton Municipal Court on Aug. 6 for a preliminary hearing. If the felony charge is upheld, his case will be bound over to the Stark County Court of Common Pleas, according to the Stark County Clerk of Courts.