Six Ohio Defendants Sentenced In Federal Court On Drug Related Murder And Racketeering Charges
Johnathon Holt received life sentence for murder and use of firearm while dealing drugs
COLUMBUS, Ohio - Six of the nineteen defendants charged in a gang-related racketeering and murder investigation, were sentenced this week in U.S. District Court.
Timothy J. Plancon, Special Agent in Charge of the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration’(DEA) Detroit Field Division, Benjamin C. Glassman, United States Attorney for the Southern District of Ohio, Angela L. Byers, Special Agent in Charge, Federal Bureau of (FBI), Trevor Velinor, Special Agent in Charge, Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and (ATF), Franklin County Prosecutor Ron O’Brien and Columbus Police Chief Kim Jacobs joined in announcing the sentences handed down by U.S. District Judge Algenon Marbley.
Johnathan Holt, 24, of Columbus, was sentenced to life in prison with no chance of parole, plus an additional 25 years. He was convicted on all counts by a United States District Court jury following trial in December 2016.
Holt was the final of 20 individuals who were indicted in October 2014 in a racketeering case, with charges that include murders, attempted murders, drug trafficking, weapons offenses, extortion and robbery. Of the 20 total defendants, five others were convicted at trial, 13 pleaded guilty and one has died.
Holt’s specific charges include murder in aid of racketeering and murder through the use of a firearm during and in relation to a drug trafficking crime.
“Johnathan Holt earned every minute of the life sentence that he received today,” U.S. Attorney Glassman said. “For anyone starting down the road that Holt and his co-defendants traveled, I hope these sentences will make them think twice and take another path.”
The five other defendants sentenced this week all pled guilty to racketeering and/or murder charges. They include:
Ismael Bowers - sentenced to 14 years.
Tommy Coates - sentenced to 7 years.
Joseph Hill - sentenced to 18 years.
Freddie Johnson - sentenced to 10 years.
Chris Warton - sentenced to 18 years.
Robert Wilson and Troy Patterson are scheduled to be sentenced later this week. Wilson pled guilty to racketeering conspiracy, and Patterson pled guilty to murder in aid of racketeering.
U.S. Attorney Glassman commended the two-year investigation by federal, state and local law enforcement agencies, including the DEA, FBI, ATF, Columbus Police, Franklin County Sheriff’s Office, Franklin County Prosecutor’s Office, Fairfield County Prosecutor Gregg Marx, Licking County Prosecutor Kenneth Oswalt, Muskingum County Prosecutor D. Michael Haddox, Ross County Prosecutor Matthew S. Schmidt, law enforcement leaders from those counties, and officials of the Ohio Department of Rehabilitation and Correction, as well as Assistant U.S. Attorneys David DeVillers, Kevin Kelley and Brian Martinez and Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Jimmy Lowe.
