EAST CLEVELAND, Ohio — The Vice President of East Cleveland's City Council was arrested early Wednesday morning after police raided a bar he was apparently operating.
According to police, a search warrant was executed near the intersection of Ivanhoe Road and Euclid Avenue around 3 a.m. Councilman Ernest L. Smith is listed on the property's lease, and he was taken into custody along with nine dancers.
Authorities say guns and drugs were found at the bar (which has since been shut down) and that the raid involved violations of state liquor laws. Smith has since been released from jail, and it is not yet known what he has been charged with.
Smith has represented the city's third ward since being appointed to the position in 2017. He currently serves as second in command to Council President Joie N. Graham.
