Cleveland Drug Trafficker Sentenced to 20 Years in Prison

CLEVELAND – A Cleveland man has been sentenced to more than 20 years in prison after pleading guilty to trafficking fentanyl and illegally possessing firearms.

Gerald M. Cook Jr., 38, was sentenced to 248 months (over 20 years) in prison by U.S. District Judge Pamela A. Barker after he pleaded guilty in March to the following charges in an indictment:

• One count of Felon in Possession of a Firearm; previous convictions for drug trafficking in 2018, 2014, and 2011.
• Three counts of Possession with Intent to Distribute Controlled Substances.
• One count of Possession of a Firearm in Furtherance of a Drug Trafficking Crime.

Cook was also ordered to serve five years of supervised release after imprisonment and to forfeit all firearms seized by federal agents. The sentence was imposed by Judge Barker Aug. 6, 2025.

“We have no tolerance for dangerous drug traffickers who make illegal profits by harming others. Together with our law enforcement partners, we will persist in our goal to end fentanyl’s grip on so many of our communities,” said U.S. Attorney David M. Toepfer for the Northern District Ohio. “I would especially like to commend the efforts of the DEA, the Willoughby Police Department and our other local partners for their hard work and dedication to protecting the public.”

According to court documents, on Aug. 16, 2020, Willoughby Police Officers observed a black Porsche Cayenne run a red light and then pull into the parking lot of a nearby hotel. The driver of the Porsche, later identified as Cook, got out of the vehicle and walked into the hotel’s lobby. Officers who were in pursuit of the vehicle followed it to the parking lot. As they looked through the window of Cook’s parked Porsche, they observed a loaded Taurus PT 1911 pistol in the center console area in plain view. Cook was prohibited from possessing firearms based on prior felony convictions for drug trafficking.

In September 2020, as part of a separate investigation, detectives with the Suburban Police Anti-Crime Network (SPAN) received information that a drug dealer nicknamed “JR” was selling fentanyl from a house in Euclid, Ohio. SPAN detectives subsequently identified “JR” as Cook, who had multiple outstanding arrest warrants. SPAN detectives then conducted two controlled purchases of fentanyl from Cook at the house. On Oct. 2, 2020, SPAN detectives and investigators with the Cleveland DEA executed a search warrant at Cook’s residence, resulting in the seizure of more than 100 grams of fentanyl analogue mixtures, two handguns, ammunition, and various tools of the drug trade, including digital scales and mixing materials. 

“Mr. Cook’s days of distributing poison in our communities has come to an end. This sentence will further protect our community and should serve as a warning to anyone willing to cash-in on suffering for profit,” said Acting Special Agent in Charge Andrew Lawton for the DEA Detroit Division. “Partnerships, such as with Willoughby PD and SPAN, are crucial in our efforts to keep communities safe from drugs.”

This case was investigated by the DEA Detroit Division's Cleveland Field Office, the Willoughby Police Department, and the Suburban Police Anti-Crime Network (SPAN). SPAN is a law enforcement partnership whose members include the Lyndhurst, Mayfield Heights, Mayfield Village, Richmond Heights, and Highland Heights Police Departments. The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys James P. Lewis and Kevin E. Bringman for the Northern District of Ohio.

National Fentanyl Prevention and Awareness Day is observed later this month on Thursday Aug. 21, 2025. For more information about this and other resources, visit dea.gov/fentanylawareness.