United States Drug Enforcement Administration

DETROIT – Two brothers originally from Dayton, Ohio and four others were arrested in North Carolina Aug. 26, for their alleged participation in a narcotics conspiracy responsible for distributing bulk amounts of fentanyl and cocaine to Dayton.

Law enforcement authorities have seized narcotics, cash, and firearms from the drug trafficking organization on multiple occasions – including fentanyl, cocaine, cash and firearms seized from a search warrant executed on Nov. 4, 2019. It was during the execution of this search warrant that Dayton Detective and DEA Task Force Officer Detective Jorge Del Rio was shot and killed. The Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force investigation was later named “Operation Never Forget.”

These charges are a reminder of the lethality of fentanyl,” said Drug Enforcement Administration Special Agent in Charge Keith Martin, whose office oversees DEA operations in Michigan and Ohio. “The DEA continues to prioritize investigating drug dealing that results in death.”

According to the indictment, from 2014 through August 2020, members of the conspiracy acquired bulk amounts of cocaine and fentanyl from suppliers in Los Angeles and Houston. The co-conspirators transported the cocaine and fentanyl to Charlotte, N.C., where they processed and repackaged the cocaine and fentanyl for resale in southern Ohio and North Carolina.

Local distributors in southern Ohio allegedly purchased kilogram quantities of the cocaine and fentanyl for resale, and thousands of unit dosages of the drugs were distributed throughout southern Ohio.

The indictment further alleges that the members of the conspiracy collected hundreds of thousands of dollars in narcotics proceeds. The Government seeks to forfeit more than $686,000 in cash seized during the investigation.

This indictment alleges the group of men charged were responsible for providing local dealers with thousands of doses of fentanyl and cocaine,” said U.S. Attorney David M. DeVillers. “The U.S. Attorney’s Office will not rest until we have traced every source of drug supply and held accountable every individual involved in this alleged conspiracy.”

The defendants are all charged with conspiracy to possess with the intent to distribute and to distribute cocaine and fentanyl. Those charged include:

If convicted, the defendants face at least 10 years and up to life in prison.

David M. DeVillers, United States Attorney for the Southern District of Ohio Keith Martin, Special Agent in Charge, Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA); Chris Hoffman, Special Agent in Charge, Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), Cincinnati Division; Roland Herndon, Special Agent in Charge, Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF); and Dayton Police Chief Richard S. Biehl announced the charges.

The case is the result of the cooperative efforts of the DEA, led by the Dayton Resident Office and including DEA offices in Charlotte, N.C., Greensboro, N.C., Beaumont, Texas, Cincinnati, Detroit, Houston, Atlanta, Annandale, Va., and the Special Operations Division; as well as FBI and ATF. These federal agencies worked closely with the Dayton, Charlotte-Mecklenburg and Beaumont police departments, and the Central Oklahoma Metro Interdiction Team (COMIT).

An indictment merely contains allegations, and defendants are presumed innocent unless proven guilty in a court of law.

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