United States Drug Enforcement Administration

CLEVELAND - This morning, a 61-count indictment was filed in federal court charging 19 people for their roles in a drug conspiracy that brought large shipments of heroin to the Cleveland area and then distributed the drug in Ashtabula, Conneaut and Bellaire, Ohio, as well as in Wheeling, West Virginia.

Indicted are: Rayshone Mitchell, of Euclid; Jermaine King, of Warrensville Heights; T-Shawn Yarber, Ashley Washburn, Jacob Payne, Curry Williams, Claude Bernard, Laroo Wells, Arthur Ezell, Jr., Dymond Williams, all from Ashtabula, Ohio; John Sabo, Jeanie Sabo, Brenda Burdick, and Jacob Moser, from Conneaut; Francis Mitchell, Dawn Perry, and Julius Mitchell from Cleveland; Michael Mlynek, of Powhatan Point; and Trayshon Kimbrough.

According to the indictment, Rayshone Mitchell and Jermaine King obtained heroin from outside of Ohio beginning in early 2014 and into 2015.  Mitchell further supplied heroin to many of the other co-conspirators in the indictment, who redistributed the heroin in Ashtabula, Conneaut, and Bellaire, Ohio, and in Wheeling, West Virginia.

According to the indictment, after the drugs were sold, the proceeds were then transported back to Rayshone Mitchell and King.  All 19 defendants are charged in count one with conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute heroin. Counts 2-24 charge various individuals with distribution of heroin. Counts 25-56 charge various individuals with use of a telephone to facilitate commission of a felony. Count 57 charges Perry with using a residence to store heroin and Count 58 charges Francis Mitchell with the same.  Count 59 charges Rayshone Mitchell with being a felon in possession of a firearm. Count 60 charges Julius Mitchell with being a felon in possession of a firearm. Count 61 charges T-Shawn Yarber with being a felon in possession of a firearm, for having a firearm despite convictions for drug trafficking, criminal gang activity and escape.

“This investigation demonstrates that the disruption of heroin trafficking is a top priority to DEA and our law enforcement partners,” said U.S. Drug Enforcement (DEA) Special Agent in Charge Joseph P. Reagan.  “We continue to focus on identifying and bringing to justice those individuals that are responsible for the increasing heroin problem in Ohio and across the United States.” 
 
“These defendants profited off the pain and addiction of others,” said U.S. Attorney Steven M. Dettelbach. “They left behind a trail of broken lives and damaged families from Cleveland to Conneaut, Ashtabula and elsewhere.”

“We’re committed to working together with our partners to stay ahead of this problem,” Ashtabula County Sheriff William Johnson said. “These investigations are lengthy but help us reduce the drug and major crime problems in our county.”

“We are thankful for the state and federal partnerships we have that assist us in removing drug dealers from our community,” said Capt. Jeff Orr, commander of the Trumbull Ashtabula Group Law Enforcement Task Force.

This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Henry F. DeBaggis and Daniel J. Riedl and following an investigation by the U.S. Drug Enforcement (DEA), the Ashtabula Police Department, the Ashtabula County Sheriff’s Office and the Trumbull Ashtabula Group Law Enforcement Task Force, with assistance from the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Belmont County Sheriff’s Office, the Conneaut Police Department, the Cleveland Heights Police Department, the Ohio State Highway Patrol, the Cleveland Division of Police, the Cuyahoga County Sheriff’s Office and the Euclid 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.