United States Drug Enforcement Administration

CLEVELAND - Carole S. Rendon, Acting U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of Ohio, announced today that a federal grand jury returned a two-count indictment charging a California man with trafficking .   George Schepp, 53, transported more than one kilogram of methamphetamine for distribution into the Cleveland metropolitan area in April of 2016.

Early in 2016, Cleveland Metroparks Rangers developed information that Schepp regularly transports two to three pounds of methamphetamine to Cleveland from the Los Angeles, California, area.  On April 10th, 2016, Schepp was arrested at the baggage claim area at Cleveland Hopkins Airport.
“This defendant brought drugs worth tens of thousands of dollars into our community from California,” Rendon said. “The law enforcement agents who worked this case should be credited for turning routine police work into a major drug bust.”

U.S. Drug Enforcement (DEA) Special Agent in Charge, Timothy J. Plancon said, “Methamphetamine is a dangerous and addictive drug. Thanks to good investigative work and cooperation between our law enforcement partners, we have successfully halted this individual from regularly importing large amounts of this addictive drug into Ohio to be distributed and ultimately consumed.”

“We are pleased to have launched an investigation, and worked side-by-side with our law enforcement partners at the DEA, to help disrupt the supply of methamphetamine to Greater Cleveland,” said Chief Daniel J. Veloski of the Cleveland Metroparks Rangers. “Through collaborative efforts such as this, we are able to significantly curtail drug trafficking and safeguard our communities.”

Assistant U.S. Attorney Matt Cronin is prosecuting the case following an investigation by the DEA, the Cleveland Metroparks Ranger Department and the Lakewood Police Department.

An indictment is only a charge and is not evidence of guilt.  A defendant is entitled to a fair trial, in which it will be the government’s burden to prove guilt beyond a reasonable doubt.