A jump in federal cases involving violent crimes and drug cases being prosecuted in Columbus federal court has officials looking for more jail space.
The U.S. marshal for the 48-counties that make up the Southern District of Ohio recently began sending defendants to the Corrections Center of Northwest Ohio, a regional jail west of Toledo.
Many of those federal prisoners usually are held in the Franklin and Delaware County jails, but federal authorities are dealing with a record 483 defendants whose cases were pending as of early October.
Almost half of those are facing drug charges.
Benjamin Glassman, the U.S. attorney for the Southern District of Ohio, says violent crime initiatives in Cincinnati and Columbus are bringing more violent crime prosecutions.
