Seven people indicted for conspiracy to traffic cocaine in East Liverpool

Seven people were named in a 79-count indictment for their roles in a conspiracy to traffic crack and powder cocaine in and around East Liverpool, said Carole S. Rendon, U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of Ohio.

Indicted are: Brady Carmichael, 26, of Columbus; Bryan Carmichael, 27, of Columbus; Guy Dorsey, 54, of Wellsville; Katie Riley, 26; Jacqueline Riley, 30; Phyllis Chamberlain, 55, and Allana Baker, 30, all of East Liverpool.

It was part of the conspiracy that the Carmichaels and Katie Riley transported cocaine from the Columbus area to East Liverpool between June and July 2016. The Carmichaels and Riley would then convert the cocaine into crack cocaine for redistribution around the East Liverpool area, according to the indictment.

The Carmichaels and Katie Riley supplied crack cocaine to Baker, Chamberlain and Dorsey for redistribution around the East Liverpool area. The defendants used cellular telephones, code words and phrases to facilitate their drug trafficking activities, according to the indictment.

The investigation preceding the indictment was conducted by the Drug Enforcement Administration and the Columbiana County Drug Task Force. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney David M. Toepfer.

If convicted, the defendants’ sentences will be determined by the court after review of factors unique to this case, including the defendant’s prior criminal record, if any, the defendant’s role in the offense 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.