Press Release
Akron Man Sentenced to Four Years for Possession with Intent to Distribute 10,000 THC Vape Cartridges and Illegal Firearms Charges
For Immediate Release
U.S. Attorney's Office, Northern District of Ohio
Acting U.S. Attorney Bridget M. Brennan announced that Gage Predojev, 23, of Akron, Ohio, was sentenced today by Judge James S. Gwin to 50 months imprisonment after Predojev pleaded guilty in June of 2021 to possession with the intent to distribute 10,000 THC vape cartridges and as a felon in possession of a firearm. Judge Gwin also ordered the forfeiture of seven firearms and $18,432 as part of Predojev’s sentence.
According to court records, on September 26, 2019, law enforcement officers stopped Predojev in his vehicle for a traffic violation. Officers learned that Predojev was driving under license suspension and used a narcotics-sniffing canine to detect the presence of drugs. The canine alerted officers to an odor of narcotics emitting from the vehicle and officers conducted a search. During the search, officers discovered 10,000 Tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) vape cartridges inside the vehicle labeled as “Fwaygo Extracts.” Predojev told law enforcement that the cartridges were valued at around $250,000.
Following this incident, officers executed a search warrant at an apartment in Stow, Ohio, where Predojev lived with codefendant Justin Duma. During the search of the apartment, officers discovered additional THC vape cartridges, approximately $18,000 in drug trafficking proceeds and seven loaded firearms.
Predojev is prohibited from possessing a firearm due to a previous conviction of drug trafficking in the Summit County Court of Common Pleas.
Justin Duma is scheduled to be sentenced on January 19, 2022.
The investigation was conducted by the FDA – Office of Criminal Investigations in conjunction with the Ohio Attorney General’s Organized Crime Investigations Commission – Cuyahoga County Regional Major Crimes Task Force and the Ohio State Highway Patrol. This case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Aaron P. Howell.
Contact
Daniel Ball Daniel.Ball@usdoj.gov
Updated February 27, 2024
Topics
Drug Trafficking
Firearms Offenses
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