39 People Charged On Heroin Conspiracy Charges In Central Ohio
CLEVELAND - U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of Ohio, Justin Herdman, announced today that 39 people were indicted in federal court for their actions in two separate heroin distribution conspiracies.
Eighteen people are charged in a 41-count indictment with conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute heroin. The defendants are all from the Mansfield area unless otherwise noted. They are:
Lennon Hayes, 44; Roberto Calderon, 36, of Chicago; Demond Steele, 45; Tara Jones, 29; Edward Jones, 39, of Chicago; Mazzarney Hardy, 39, of Maywood, Illinois; Michael Ginn, 28; Steve Hollins, 42; Cupree Howard, 39; Marcus Garmon, 32; Ashley Kriedman-Crider, 28; Rickell Fields, 24; Marrico King, 40; Terrance Jones, 27; Natasha Brookins, 34; James Alexander, 32; Vanness Oliver, 39, and Jacquis Mordica, 26.
In that conspiracy, Lennon Hayes and Edward Jones obtained large amounts of heroin from Roberto Calderon in Chicago and then sold it in the Mansfield area. This took place between June 2015 and the present, according to the indictment. Hayes and Jones sold the heroin to other dealers, named above.
In the second conspiracy announced today, 21 people are charged in a 33-count indictment with conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute heroin, crack cocaine, cocaine and marijuana. The defendants are all from the Mansfield area unless otherwise noted. They are: Kevin Burton, 41; Antoine Jefferson, 39; Damon Slaughter, 41, of Westerville; Lewis Pinkston, Jr., 40; Brian Nowell, 44; Dorthea Burton, 34; Larry Ferguson, 41, of Louisville, Kentucky; Ericka Fortner, 27; Shadawn Smith, 25; Corey Motley, 36; Bronson Jones, 43; Deon Gamble, 34; Willie Feagin, 62; Jon Martel Jefferson, 30; Keith Maddox, 36; Amanda Huffman, 28; Michael Sloan, 60; Shantia Crawford, 27; Cardoves Haslett, 34; Shakela Williams, 23, and Joe Ware, 20.
In this conspiracy, heroin, cocaine and marijuana was obtained from suppliers in Columbus and California, and resold in Mansfield and Louisville, Kentucky.
DEA Special Agent in Charge Timothy Plancon said: “Putting a stop to the efforts of this dangerous group that was distributing large quantities of heroin and cocaine into the community, is a victory for the residents of Mansfield. In DEA, we understand the importance that drug prevention and drug treatment, play in fighting the current opioid epidemic, but we also recognize that putting a permanent dent into the supply of these poisons will help to reduce addiction rates and ultimately overdose deaths.”
“These groups brought heroin into Mansfield from out of state, sold it from houses in neighborhoods with families and used firearms to protect their operations,” U.S. Attorney Justin Herdman said. “Law enforcement did a tremendous job in dismantling these organizations.”
These indictments are the result of investigations by the DEA, FBI, METRICH Enforcement Task Force, Mansfield Police Department, Richland County Sheriff’s Office and U.S. Marshals Service, with assistance from the Richland County Prosecutor’s Office. Assistant U.S. Attorney Vasile Katsaros is prosecuting the cases.
