15 people charged in Lorain County drug trafficking ring

Federal, state and local law enforcement have dropped an indictment against 15 members of a drug trafficking organization (DTO) based in Lorain County, according to a news release.

According to court documents, the drug smuggling operation allegedly involved trafficking fentanyl in the form of counterfeit pills in the cities of Elyria and Lorain and surrounding areas in Northeast Ohio.

This announcement was made by United States Attorney Rebecca C. Lutzko, DEA Special Agent in Charge Orville Greene, FBI Special Agent in Charge Greg Nelsen and Lorain Police Department Chief James P. McCann.

According to the statement, the investigation that led to the charges spanned a period of 18 months.

In a series of coordinated arrests, agents arrested individuals.

Large quantities of fentanyl were seized, including thousands of fentanyl pills designed to look like legitimate prescription drugs.

During the investigation, investigators also discovered cash and several illegally owned firearms.

“Given its extreme potency, fentanyl is extraordinarily dangerous – it poisoned and killed over 3,500 Ohioans in 2023 alone,” Lutzko said in the release. “Distributing under the guise of legitimate prescription medications, as the defendants allege in the indictment, is particularly reprehensible because it increases the risk of overdose for those who take them.”

“I commend the incredible collaboration between our federal, state and local law enforcement partners to remove thousands of these deadly pills from the streets.” Their dedication and hard work led to the successful dismantling of this organization and helped our Making neighborhoods safer and free from the criminals who sell these poisons on our streets.”

Defendants in the 19-count indictment:

• Tyvez McCullum, 30, Elyria

• Ivan Barrios, 45, Lorain

• Tavon Martin, 28, Lorain

• Jaivon Wint, 27, Lorain

• Katlynn Caudill, 22, Lorain

• Nicholas Thomson, 47, Elyria

• Max Kennedy, 19, Wellington

• Jordan Johnson, 29, Elyria

• Angela Shuck, 35, Lorain

• Stacey Thomson, 48, Elyria

• Tyrone Phillips, 25, Elyria

• Nicholas Burkholder, 29, Elyria

• Aubrey Brown, 29, Elyria

• Joseph Kushner, 32, Berea

• Ronald Whittaker, 31, Cleveland

According to the indictment, from approximately May 2023 to October 2024, the defendants conspired to distribute and possess with the intent to distribute mixtures and substances containing quantities of fentanyl, a Schedule II controlled substance.

It is alleged that McCullum and Whittaker led the conspiracy.

After receiving pill shipments from Whittaker, McCullum would distribute the fentanyl pills to the other pills listed in the indictment, the release said.

These individuals, in turn, would further distribute the fentanyl pills to their own networks throughout the Elyria and Lorain region, the release said.

According to the release, the named defendants are responsible for the distribution of at least 4,406.25 estimated grams of fentanyl and/or 42,793 blue fentanyl pills.

“We will continue to use all available resources to disrupt, dismantle and defeat drug trafficking organizations that spread deadly poisons in Ohio,” Greene said in the news release. “Our work with local, state and federal partners is not just about enforcement, but also about securing the future of our communities and ensuring they remain safe and drug-free.”

“Illegal drugs are destroying lives and corrupting communities throughout northern Ohio,” Nelsen said in the news release. “This indictment underscores the commitment of not only the FBI, but also our interagency partners as they work together to identify local drug traffickers and disrupt and dismantle their drug trafficking networks.

An indictment is just an accusation and not proof of guilt.

If convicted, the sentence for each defendant will be determined by the court after consideration of factors specific to that case, including each defendant's criminal history (if any), each defendant's role in the offense, and the characteristics of the offense.

In all cases the penalty will not exceed the legal maximum and in most cases will be less.

This investigation is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) investigation.

The Task Force identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level drug traffickers, money launderers, gangs, and transnational criminal organizations that threaten the United States using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-led, multi-agency approach that leverages federal strengths. state and local law enforcement agencies against criminal networks, the release said.

The investigation leading up to the indictment was conducted by the DEA, the FBI's Cleveland Division, Homeland Security Investigations, the Lorain Police Department, the Elyria Police Department, the Lorain County Drug Task Force, the United States Marshals Service, the Ohio Adult Parole Authority and conducted by the Lorain County Prosecutor's Office.

Assistant U.S. Attorneys Robert F. Corts and Paul Hanna for the Northern District of Ohio will prosecute the case.