Fifteen people indicted for their roles in a conspiracy to traffic fentanyl, heroin and crack cocaine in Lorain

Fifteen people were indicted for their roles in a conspiracy to traffic fentanyl, heroin and crack cocaine in Lorain.

Indicted are: Cesar Francisco Melendez-Perez, 31, of Lorain; Erick Yamil Jiminez-Rodriguez, 30, of Manati, Puerto Rico; Xavier Robles-Cruz, 32, of the Bronx, New York; Freddie Sanchez, 32, of Lorain; Ramon Feliciano-Montanez, 29, of Sheffield Lake; Princeton Edwards, 29, of Columbus; Anthony Washington, 21, of Lorain; John Massey-Lovejoy, 37, of Lorain; Christopher Kovach, 29, of Parma; Jonas Pagan, 25, of Lorain; Jamie Pagan, 25, of Lorain; Thomas M. Parker, 29, of Lorain; Ricky Londa, 26, of Lorain; Bryce A. Babics, 30, of Lorain, and Toby Lewis, 24, of Elyria.

“These defendants sold opioids and cocaine for profit at a time when thousands of people across the country are dying, including people in Lorain County,” U.S. Attorney Justin Herdman said. “We have now indicted more than 80 people on the federal level as part of Operation S.O.S. and remain committed to working collaboratively to address the drug overdose epidemic. The message should be clear to would-be drug dealers in Lorain County – if you sell illegal narcotics, you are going to be prosecuted by the feds.” 

DEA Acting Special Agent in Charge Keith W. Martin said: “These arrests will make Lorain County safer. This group is responsible for selling large amounts of fentanyl, heroin and crack in our community.”

“We have always been appreciative of the level of cooperation between the local, State, and Federal law enforcement agencies in this area in combating the drug issues that plague our communities,” Lorain Police Department Captain Roger Watkins said.  

Elyria Police Department Chief Duane Whitely said: “The SOS project through the U.S. Attorney's Office has been very successful for all of Lorain County. We are very grateful for the efforts of all the federal agencies to help us fight the heroin/ fentanyl crisis.” 

According to the 43-count indictment, filed in U.S. District Court: 

Melendez-Perez, Robles-Cruz and Jiminez-Rodriguez allegedly worked together to purchase large quantities of heroin, fentanyl and cocaine, which they would distribute to other dealers in Cleveland, Lorain, Arkansas and Pennsylvania.

Feliciano-Montanez, Edwards, Sanchez and Kovach allegedly obtained large quantities of heroin, fentanyl and cocaine from Melendez-Perez, which they redistributed in and around Lorain. Edwards and Feliciano-Montanez also distributed fentanyl, heroin and cocaine to other traffickers in Lorain, including Massey-Lovejoy, Washington, Babics and Lewis.

Members of the conspiracy cooked cocaine into crack cocaine for further distribution to customers in Lorain, according to the indictment.

Several members of the conspiracy were additionally charged with firearms violations.

Washington is charged with being a felon in possession of a firearm and possession of a firearm in relation to drug trafficking. He allegedly had a Springfield 9 mm handgun, despite previous convictions for domestic violence and drug trafficking.

Kovach is charged with being a felon in possession of a firearm for allegedly having a Kahr .380-caliber handgun, despite a previous conviction for felonious assault.

Melendez-Perez is charged with being a felon in possession of a firearm for allegedly having a Diamondback 9 mm handgun, despite a previous conviction for domestic violence.

Lewis is charged with being a felon in possession of a firearm and possession of a firearm in relation to drug trafficking for allegedly having a Glock .40-caliber handgun, despite previous convictions for domestic violence, drug charges and other crimes.

The cases were investigated as part of Operation Synthetic Opioid Surge (S.O.S.), which seeks to reduce the supply of deadly synthetic opioids in high impact areas and to identify wholesale distribution networks and international and domestic suppliers. Lorain County was selected as a pilot site for Operation S.O.S. More than 80 people have been indicted as part of the program to date.  The DEA, Lorain Police Department, Elyria Police Department and the Lorain County Sheriff’s Office Drug Task Force participate in the SOS program.  

This case was investigated by the DEA, Lorain Police Department, and the Elyria Police Department. It is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Vasile Katsaros.

If convicted, the defendants’ sentence will be determined by the Court after review of factors unique to this case, including the defendants’ prior criminal record, the defendants’ role in the offenses and the characteristics of the violations.  In all cases, the sentence will not exceed the statutory maximum and in most cases it will be less than the maximum.

An indictment is only a charge and is not evidence of guilt.  A defendant is entitled to a fair trial in which it will be the government’s burden to prove guilt beyond a reasonable doubt.