Five Sentenced to Prison for Large-Scale Interstate Drug Trafficking Operation
CLEVELAND – Five individuals will now face prison time for their roles in a drug trafficking conspiracy that trafficked illegal drugs from California to Ohio.
Terrance Gainer, 29, of Akron, was sentenced to 240 months (20 years) in prison and five years of supervised released after pleading guilty to:
- Conspiracy to Distribute and Possess with Intent to Distribute Controlled Substances
- Distribution of Methamphetamine (3 counts)
- Interstate Travel in Aid of Racketeering
Darquan Dixon, 27, of Akron, was sentenced to 200 months (16.6 years) in prison and five years of supervised release after pleading guilty to:
- Conspiracy to Distribute and Possess with Intent to Distribute Controlled Substances
Allura Ward, 25, of Mansfield, was sentenced to 165 months (13.75 years) in prison and five years of supervised release after pleading guilty to:
- Conspiracy to Distribute and Possess with Intent to Distribute Controlled Substances
- Distribution of Methamphetamine (2 counts)
- Possession with Intent to Distribute Methamphetamine
Genaro Villa, 39, of San Diego, California, was sentenced to 136 months (11.33 years) in prison and five years of supervised release after pleading guilty to:
- Conspiracy to Distribute and Possess with Intent to Distribute Controlled Substances
Najiyah Martin, 47, of Los Angeles, California, was sentenced to 24 months (2 years) in prison after pleading guilty to:
- Conspiracy to Distribute and Possess with Intent to Distribute Controlled Substances
Anthony Clark, 31, of Akron, also charged in this case, is scheduled to be sentenced Oct. 14 before Judge Charles Esque Fleming after pleading guilty to:
- Conspiracy to Distribute and Possess with Intent to Distribute Controlled Substances
- Distribution of Methamphetamine (3 counts)
In August 2025, a 59-page indictment was unsealed charging the six defendants for operating an interstate drug conspiracy that smuggled large quantities of methamphetamine, cocaine, and other controlled substances from California to Ohio.
During the investigation, federal agents discovered that methamphetamine and cocaine were routinely mailed from locations in Los Angeles and San Diego and shipped to several cities in Ohio. Co-conspirators also smuggled drugs in suitcases on commercial flights and then drove to an apartment Gainer maintained in Columbus to drop off the drug shipments. Gainer also recruited additional couriers to help smuggle drugs and cash between California and Ohio.
Once the drugs were transported to Ohio, Gainer, Clark, Dixon, and Ward sold them to customers throughout the state. Additionally, Ward purchased a pill press machine and more than 55 pounds of pill-binding powder, had them shipped to her home in Mansfield, and then used them to press illicit pills.
In total, federal investigators seized more than 33 pounds (15 kilograms) of methamphetamine and more than two pounds of (1 kilogram) of cocaine that were smuggled from California to Ohio in mail parcels or on airline flights. Investigators also seized multiple firearms that were connected to the drug operation.
The investigation was conducted by the DEA Detroit Division’s Cleveland District Office, and the U.S. Postal Inspection Service’s Cleveland Office, with assistance from the Cleveland MetroParks Police, the Summit County Sheriff’s Office, the Wayne County MEDWAY Drug Enforcement Agency, the Cleveland Heights Police Department, the Columbus Division of Police, and the Ohio State Highway Patrol.
This case is part of the Homeland Security Task Force (HSTF) initiative. The HSTF is a whole-of-government partnership dedicated to eliminating criminal cartels, foreign gangs, transnational criminal organizations, and human smuggling and trafficking rings operating in the United States and abroad. The HSTF utilizes all available tools to prosecute and remove the most violent criminal aliens from the United States. HSTF Cleveland comprises agents and officers from federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies.
