In a sweeping federal indictment, 15 people were charged with involvement in a large-scale drug trafficking operation (DTO) that allegedly distributed counterfeit fentanyl tablets throughout Elyria, Lorain, and sections of Northeast Ohio.
The indictment, announced earlier this week, comes after a year-and-a-half investigation by federal, state, and local law enforcement authorities into a network accused of extensive fentanyl distribution.
The DEA conducted the investigation with assistance from the FBI, local police in Lorain and Elyria, and the Lorain County Drug Task Force.
This combined effort resulted in a number of arrests and the confiscation of fentanyl tablets, cash, and illegally acquired firearms.
The investigation is part of the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) effort, which seeks to destroy high-level criminal organizations in the United States through multi-agency collaboration.
According to U.S. Attorney Rebecca C. Lutzko, “collaboration among law enforcement agencies” made it possible to remove thousands of these deadly pills from the streets.
She stressed the tremendous danger of fentanyl, especially when disguised as a legitimate prescription, which she claimed “heightens the overdose danger.”
Ronald Whittaker and Tyvez McCullum, the DTO’s alleged leaders, are accused of overseeing the organization’s structure, with Whittaker allegedly providing fentanyl to McCullum, who subsequently distributed it to the other 13 defendants.
The indictment alleges that the DTO trafficked over 42,000 blue fentanyl pills masquerading as prescription medications throughout Elyria and Lorain.
According to federal investigators, these counterfeit tablets increase the risk of overdose since consumers may be unaware they contain fentanyl, an extremely strong synthetic opioid.
The authorities have charged 15 individuals with different drug trafficking offenses. The defendants in this case are:
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- Ronald Whittaker, 31, Cleveland
- Tyvez McCullum, 30, Elyria
- Ivan Barrios, 45, Lorain
- Tavon Martin, 28, Lorain
- Jaivon Wint, 27, Lorain
- Katlynn Caudill, 22, Lorain
- Nicholas Thomson, 47, Elyria
- Max Kennedy, 19, Wellington
- Jordan Johnson, 29, Elyria
- Angela Shuck, 35, Lorain
- Stacey Thomson, 48, Elyria
- Tyrone Phillips, 25, Elyria
- Joseph Kushner, 32, Berea
- Nicholas Burkholder, 29, Elyria
- Aubrey Brown, 29, Elyria
These individuals are being charged with offenses related to the distribution and conspiracy of fentanyl.
The sentences for the defendants, if found guilty, will be based on their criminal history and the level of involvement they had within the DTO.
DEA Special Agent in Charge Orville Greene highlighted the agency’s dedication to utilizing all possible resources in order to combat the Drug Trafficking Organizations that are spreading dangerous drugs in Ohio.
Fentanyl continues to play a major role in causing overdose deaths in Ohio and the United States. Law enforcement agencies are now placing greater emphasis on taking down drug trafficking organizations (DTOs) that are responsible for distributing this dangerous substance.
Mexican cartels like Sinaloa and Jalisco play a significant role in smuggling fentanyl into the United States, as stated in the DEA’s National Drug Threat Assessment. This illicit drug is then distributed within communities with the assistance of local DTOs.
Although the charges mark a significant move against drug trafficking in Ohio, officials emphasize that the battle is far from finished.