COLUMBUS, Ohio — A man pleaded guilty in federal court Friday to drug, gun and human trafficking crimes, according to U.S Attorney Kenneth Parker’s office.
Cordell Washington, 37, was identified as a leader in a case with 23 others who were involved in narcotics and human trafficking conspiracies.
Parker’s office says from 2008 to June 2022, Washington ran a large-scale drug trafficking organization in Columbus with co-defendant Patrick Saultz. The operation also included sex trafficking, labor trafficking, fraud and money laundering.
The case was initially announced by a task force in July 2022 after a federal grand jury indicted 11 people for distributing bulk amounts of fentanyl, cocaine and crack cocaine within 1,000 feet of a Columbus elementary school. Twelve more people were named in the case in October 2022 and 28 new charges were added.
Court documents reveal that the organization brought in large quantities of fentanyl, heroin, cocaine, crack cocaine, methamphetamine, oxycodone, alprazolam and marijuana into Columbus that were sold or used to coerce individuals into sexual activity.
As part of his plea, Washington admitted to labor trafficking male drug addicts. He provided the men with their drug of choice after the men completed construction or cleaning projects at residences owned by the drug trafficking organization.
The men were recruited by Washington and some completed the work for him under a serious threat of harm.
He would also provide the addicts with advances on small amounts of drugs so they were well enough to perform physical labor. If Washington was not pleased with their work product, he would not complete the final drug payment and would threaten violence against them, Parker's office says.
According to Parker’s office, Washington pleaded guilty to conspiring to distribute and possessing with intent to distribute controlled substances within 1,000 feet of an elementary school, possessing a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime, labor trafficking and concealment money laundering. He faces a mandatory minimum of at least 15 years and up to life in prison.
As part of this case, local, state and federal law enforcement officers have executed more than 20 search warrants at various locations throughout central Ohio and seized more than $1.7 million in alleged drug proceeds.
As of Friday, 21 people of the 23 named in the case have pleaded guilty.
Carmella Brooks has been sentenced and received a term of imprisonment of five years.