Source: United States Department of Justice News
COLUMBUS, Ohio – The government added 12 defendants and 28 new charges to a federal narcotics conspiracy case that now charges 23 total individuals.
A multi-agency law enforcement task force initially announced the case in July after a federal grand jury indicted 11 defendants for distributing bulk amounts of fentanyl, cocaine, and crack cocaine in central Ohio within 1,000 feet of a Columbus elementary school.
A superseding indictment unsealed Friday now charges additional co-conspirators with distributing those same drugs in addition to methamphetamine, heroin, marijuana, Xanax and Oxycodone.
According to the 42-count superseding indictment, from at least January 2008 until 2022, the drug trafficking organization sold drugs out of local West side Columbus residences to customers and distributed larger amounts to regional drug traffickers who then trafficking those narcotics to places such as West Virginia and the Northern District of Ohio.
Most of the alleged drug dealing took place within 1000 feet of Burroughs Elementary School in Columbus.
The indictment also alleges two defendants distributed fentanyl and crack cocaine that initially resulted in serious bodily harm to the victim, who ultimately died of an overdose.
As part of this case, local, state, and federal law enforcement officers have executed more than 20 search warrants at various locations throughout Central Ohio and seized more than $1.7 million in alleged drug proceeds. For example, while executing a search warrant at Car-Go storage units, law enforcement officials discovered at least $1.2 million in cash. Searches of residences yielded 47 firearms, diamonds, Rolex watches and additional bulk amounts of cash.
Those originally charged include:
|
Name |
Age |
City of Residence |
|
Cordell A. Washington, aka Corey, Dub, Bro |
35 |
Columbus, Ohio |
|
Patrick M. Saultz, aka White Boy Pat |
44 |
Columbus, Ohio |
|
David E. Price, aka DP |
53 |
Columbus, Ohio |
|
Allison E. Smith, aka Alli |
27 |
Columbus, Ohio |
|
Tavaryyuan Johnson, aka Gucci |
22 |
Columbus, Ohio |
|
Tyler N. Bourdo |
28 |
Columbus, Ohio |
|
Alexis C. Lewis |
30 |
Columbus, Ohio |
|
Michael Fowler |
45 |
Canton, Ohio |
|
Carmela Brooks |
48 |
Canton, Ohio |
|
Dustin A. Speakman, aka Dawg |
32 |
Columbus, Ohio |
|
Danny G. Mullins |
53 |
Columbus, Ohio |
Defendants added in the superseding indictment unsealed today include:
|
Name |
Age |
City of Residence |
|
Robert E. Tinsley, III, aka Cam |
22 |
Columbus, Ohio |
|
Priscilla L. Washington |
58 |
Columbus, Ohio |
|
Lauren E. Brezney |
29 |
Shallotte, N.C./Columbus, Ohio |
|
Brittany A. Williams |
36 |
Columbus, Ohio |
|
Gabriel R. Smith, aka Gabe |
34 |
Canal Winchester, Ohio |
|
Robert L. Pyles, aka Pork |
45 |
Columbus, Ohio |
|
Mitchell A. Powers |
33 |
Columbus, Ohio |
|
Vincent T. Griffin |
50 |
Reynoldsburg, Ohio |
|
Caitlin R. Duff |
27 |
Columbus, Ohio |
|
Michael D. Burton |
39 |
Columbus, Ohio |
|
Brian K. Long, II |
32 |
Columbus, Ohio |
|
Anthony B. Frierson, aka Royal |
31 |
Columbus, Ohio |
Twenty-two defendants are charged with conspiring to distribute and possess with intent to distribute fentanyl, cocaine, cocaine base, methamphetamine, heroin, marijuana, Xanax and Oxycodone. The narcotics conspiracy is punishable by at least 10 years and up to life in prison.
U.S. Attorney Kenneth L. Parker commended the investigation coordinated by Ohio Attorney General Dave Yost’s Ohio Organized Crime Investigations Commission task force, which includes Columbus Division of Police Chief Elaine Bryant; Angie Salazar, Special Agent in Charge, Homeland Security Investigations; and Orville O. Greene, Special Agent in Charge, U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration. Other agencies that have assisted the task force with the investigation include the Franklin County Sheriff’s Office, HIDTA Task Force, IRS-Criminal Investigation, FBI, Ohio Bureau of Criminal Investigations (BCI), Ohio National Guard Counter Drug Task Force, Pickerington Police Department, New Albany Police Department, and the Fairfield County Sheriff’s Office SWAT Team.
Assistant United States Attorneys Timothy Prichard and Emily Czerniejewski are representing the United States in this case.
This investigation is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) operation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts and dismantles the highest-level criminal organizations that threaten the United States using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach. Additional information about the OCDETF program can be found at https://www.justice.gov/OCDETF.
Indictments merely contain allegations, and defendants are presumed innocent unless proven guilty in a court of law.
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