Eleven Arrested in Central Ohio Narcotics Distribution Ring

USPA NEWS - More than $1.5 million in cash, 44 firearms, 7 vehicles, 1 motorcycle seized. A multi-agency law enforcement task force today announced the arrests of eight men and three women indicted by a federal grand jury here for distributing bulk amounts of fentanyl, cocaine, and crack cocaine in central Ohio. The charges include dealing drugs within 1,000 feet of a school. Local, state, and federal law enforcement officers executed 14 search warrants at various locations throughout Central Ohio and made the arrests between June 29 and July 1.

Those charged are:

Cordell A. Washington, aka Corey, Dub, Bro, 35, Columbus
Patrick M. Saultz, aka White Boy Pat, 44, Columbus
David E. Price, aka DP, 53, Columbus
Allison E. Smith, aka Alli, 27, Columbus
Tavaryyuan Johnson, aka Gucci, 22, Columbus
Tyler N. Bourdo, 28, Columbus
Alexis C. Lewis, 30, Columbus
Michael Fowler, 45, Canton
Carmela Brooks, 48, Canton
Dustin A. Speakman, aka Dawg, 32, Columbus
Danny G. Mullins, 53, Columbus

All are charged with conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute fentanyl, cocaine, and cocaine base, which is punishable by at least ten years and up to life in prison. The 12-count indictment alleges that some of the dealing over the past two years took place within 1000 feet of Burroughs Elementary School in Columbus. As part of the conspiracy, defendants created Limited Liability Companies in order to create bank accounts to deposit their drug proceeds.

The indictment alleges that the drug trafficking organization sold drugs out of local residences to customers and distributed larger amounts to regional drug traffickers.

“We’ve reached this milestone in this ongoing two-year investigation through meticulous and determined work by federal, local and state law enforcement agencies working together,” said Kenneth L. Parker, United States Attorney for the Southern District of Ohio. “In this case, it appears the perpetrators of this offense had no regard for the children in the community as they allegedly dealt drugs within 1,000 feet of an elementary school.”

Parker announced that the indictment grew from an investigation coordinated by Ohio Attorney General Dave Yost’s Ohio Organized Crime Investigations Commission task force which includes Columbus Division of Police Chief Elaine Bryant; Angie Salazar, Special Agent in Charge, Homeland Security Investigations; and Orville Greene, Special Agent in Charge, U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration. Other agencies that have assisted the task force with the investigation include the Franklin County Sheriff's Office, HIDTA Task Force, Internal Revenue Service, Federal Bureau of Investigation, Ohio Bureau of Criminal Investigations, Ohio National Guard Counter Drug Task Force, Pickerington Police Department, New Albany Police Department, and the Fairfield County Sheriff's Office SWAT Team. Assistant United States Attorneys Timothy Prichard and Emily Czerniejewski are representing the United States in this case.

This investigation is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) operation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level criminal organizations that threaten the United States using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach. Additional information about the OCDETF Program can be found at https://www.justice.gov/OCDETF.

Indictments merely contain allegations, and defendants are presumed innocent unless proven guilty in a court of law.

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Wendy writes for the United States Press Agency and is a former columnist with the Fulton County Expositor, Wauseon, Ohio.

Source: Department of Justice, U.S. Attorney’s Office, Southern District of Ohio press release July 5, 2022