MARION, Ohio — Forty-six people are indicted in connection to an alleged drug trafficking conspiracy in the Marion area, according to the U.S. Department of Justice.
The USDOJ said the conspiracy involved distributing heroin, cocaine, crack cocaine and fentanyl.
Forty-three of the 46 were arrested early Wednesday morning.
All 46 are accused of operating a drug trafficking organization from October 2015 to January 2019, going so far as to use multiple cell phones and code words to hide what they were doing.
The USDOJ said they are accused of getting the drugs from supplies in Ohio, Michigan, Illinois and elsewhere.
The FBI, Drug Enforcement Agency, Marion Police and Marion County Sheriff's Office worked on the investigation.
The USDOJ provide the following breakdown of the charges:
Charged in a 29-count indictment with conspiracy to possess with the intent to distribute and distribution of controlled substances, distribution of a controlled substance, possession with the intent to distribute a controlled substance and use of a communications facility to facilitate a drug trafficking offense are:
Raheem Brown, age 28, of Marion; Eric Carter, age 57, of Marion; Tawana Cochran, age 37, in state custody; Harold Cowans, age 81, of Columbus; Brittany Crabtree, age 29, of Marion; Rex Cumston, age 58, of Marion; Jeff Ellinwood, age 38, of Marion; Andy Fernandez, age 39, of Ypsilanti, Michigan; Paula Foreman, age 58, of Marion; Juan Demetrius Hartwell, age 46, of Marion; Mitchem Hopper, age 30, in state custody; Marty Keifer, age 29, of Marion; Ricky Kensler, in federal custody; Jamal Mincey, age 32, of Marion; Andre Pearson, age 40, of Marion; Terry Phillips, age 61, of Marion; Lawrence Redrick, age 43, in federal custody; Clifton Ross, age 45, of Columbus; Toni Sparks, age 29, of Marion; Terell Steen, age 43, in state custody; William Swartz, Jr, age 61, of Marion; Billie Jean White, age 32, of Marion; Taylor Williams, age 27, of Marion.
Charged in a 22-count indictment with conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute controlled substances, distribution of a controlled substance, possession with the intent to distribute a controlled substance, felon in possession of a firearm and use of a communications facility in furtherance of a drug trafficking offense are:
Robert Baker, age 38, of Marion; Corey Cesar, age 28, of Marion; Tawana Cochran, age 37, in state custody; Kenneth Crumpton, age 31, of Farmington Hills, Michigan; Kenneth Drake, age 40, of Marion; Rodney Tyson Hall, age 37, of Larue, Ohio; Warren Harris, age 40, of Marion; Josten Jones, age 29, of Marion; Ronald Jordan, age 33, in state custody; Courtney Miles, age 35, in state custody; Lindsay Pacha, age 26, of Marion; Clifton Ross, age 45, of Columbus and Terry Worthington, age 41 in state custody.
Charged in a 16-count indictment with conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute controlled substances, distribution of controlled substance and use of a communications facility in furtherance of a drug trafficking offense are:
Kendall Bender, age 33; Michael Collins, age 41; Meghan Landon, age 34; Destiny Pyles, age 23; Timothy Reed, age 36 and Alisha Taylor, age 24, all of Marion.
Charged in six separate indictments with possession with intent to distribute a controlled substance distribution of a controlled substance are:
Otis Oliver, age 32; Darrius Kevin Karl Young-Owens, age 26; Anthony Robinson, age 32; all of Marion; James Glass, age 36; Curtis Thomas, age 33 and Johnny Thomas, age 34, both in state custody.
