Six Defendants Charged in Alleged Interstate Drug Smuggling Ring

CLEVELAND – A six-count, 59-page indictment has been unsealed charging six defendants for allegedly operating an interstate drug conspiracy that smuggled large quantities of methamphetamine, cocaine, and other controlled substances from California to Ohio. The indictment was unsealed Aug. 12.

According to the indictment, from about February 2023 to April 2024, Genaro Villa, 38, of San Diego, California, supplied bulk quantities of drugs from California to members of the conspiracy in Ohio. Terrance Gainer, 28, Anthony Clark, 30, and Darquan Dixon, 26, all of Akron, and Allura Ward, 24, of Mansfield, are charged with having a role in transporting controlled substances to Ohio. The indictment further charges Najiyah Martin, 46, of Los Angeles, California, with facilitating kilogram-quantity drug deals involving Villa, Clark, and Gainer.

During the investigation, federal agents discovered that contraband was smuggled in checked baggage on airline flights or in packages mailed through the U.S. Post Office. Methamphetamine and cocaine were discovered to be routinely mailed from locations in Los Angeles and San Diego and shipped to several Ohio cities including Akron, Barberton, Mansfield, and Columbus. Co-conspirators also smuggled drugs in suitcases on commercial flights and then drove to an apartment Gainer maintained in Columbus to drop off the drug shipments for further distribution. Gainer also recruited couriers to help smuggle drugs and cash between California and Ohio.

Once the drugs were transported to Ohio, Gainer, Clark, Dixon, and Ward sold them to customers throughout the state. Additionally, Ward purchased a pill press machine and more than 55 pounds of pill-binding powder, had them shipped to her home in Mansfield, and then used them to press illicit pills.

U.S. Attorney's Office, Northern District of Ohio

The indictment also outlines various activities in connection with the conspiracy. In one instance, Clark texted Villa a photo of large stacks of rubber-banded cash that he intended to use as payment for the drugs. Villa also possessed a video showing a person filling a plastic storage container with large bags of white crystalline drugs. In another instance, Clark contacted Martin about a kilogram brick of cocaine that was short by 90 grams. Martin then sent him a photo showing a brick of cocaine stamped with the marking “1000” on a digital scale that displayed a weight of 32.1 ounces, or approximately 910 grams, which is 90 grams short of a kilogram.

U.S. Attorney's Office, Northern District of Ohio

Another instance detailed in the indictment took place in April 2024, when Gainer asked Dixon to “drop off some cash in Cali,” meaning, to smuggle cash to their drug supplier in California. On April 20, 2024, Dixon traveled from Ohio to California for the purpose of purchasing drugs, and on April 25, 2024, he flew back to Ohio with bulk cocaine and methamphetamine hidden in his suitcase. Ward picked up Dixon and the suitcase at the airport in Cincinnati and then proceeded to drive to Columbus to meet Gainer. However, the Ohio State Highway Patrol stopped Ward and Dixon on a traffic violation before they reached their destination. During a probable cause search of the vehicle, officers recovered more than 17 pounds of methamphetamine (about 8.8 kilograms), two pounds of cocaine (about 1 kilogram), and a loaded 9mm semi-automatic pistol. 

In total, federal investigators seized more than 33 pounds (15 kilograms) of methamphetamine and more than two pounds of (1 kilogram) of cocaine that were smuggled from California to Ohio in mail parcels or on airline flights. Investigators also seized multiple firearms that were connected to the drug operation.

If convicted, each defendant’s sentence will be determined by the court after review of factors unique to this case, including each defendant’s prior criminal record, if any, the defendant’s role in the offense and the characteristics of the violation. In all cases, the sentence will not exceed the statutory maximum, and, in most cases, it will be less than the maximum.

The investigation was conducted by the DEA Detroit Division’s Cleveland Field Office, and the U.S. Postal Inspection Service’s Cleveland Office, with assistance from the Cleveland MetroParks Police, the Summit County Sheriff’s Office, the Wayne County MEDWAY Drug Enforcement Agency, the Cleveland Heights Police Department, the Columbus Division of Police, and the Ohio State Highway Patrol.

This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney James P. Lewis for the Northern District of Ohio.

The case was investigated under the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF). OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level criminal organizations that threaten the United States using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach. For more information visit Justice.gov/OCDETF.

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