Press Release
Two Kirtland men charged with trafficking meth and illegal possession of 16 AR-15 style rifles, sniper rifles, shotguns and handguns
For Immediate Release
U.S. Attorney's Office, Northern District of Ohio
Acting U.S. Attorney Bridget M. Brennan announced today that a federal grand jury sitting in Cleveland returned an eight-count indictment charging Ernest Corrigan, age 57, and Andrew Householder, age 43, both of Kirtland, Ohio, with numerous federal drug trafficking and firearms charges.
Defendants Corrigan and Householder are both charged with conspiracy to possess with the intent to distribute controlled substances; possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine, heroin, cocaine and oxycodone and possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime. In addition, defendant Corrigan is charged as a felon in possession of a firearm and ammunition.
According to court documents, in June of 2020, law enforcement agents identified the defendants as known traffickers of methamphetamines in Ohio and began surveillance measures. From August through December of 2020, law enforcement officers conducted a number of controlled buys of methamphetamines from a residence used by the defendants. On December 30, 2020, a search warrant was obtained for the residence used by the defendants. During the execution of the search warrant, law enforcement agents allegedly obtained more than a kilogram of methamphetamine and detectable amounts of heroin, cocaine and oxycodone. In addition, agents recovered 16 firearms, including AR-15 style rifles, sniper rifles, shotguns, and handguns; thousands of rounds of ammunition of all calibers and approximately $4,000 in cash.
While searching the residence, law enforcement agents also discovered a methamphetamine lab and pill press allegedly used to make counterfeit Adderall pills, which contained methamphetamine.
Defendant Corrigan is prohibited from possessing a firearm due to two previous federal convictions for trafficking methamphetamine and a conviction for the possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking.
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.
If convicted, the defendant’s sentence 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 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 preceding the indictment was conducted by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Ohio Attorney General’s Office, Geauga County Sheriff's Office and Cleveland Heights Police Department. This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Kevin P. Pierce.
This effort was part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) operation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level criminal organizations that threaten the United States using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach. Additional information about the OCDETF Program can be found at https://www.justice.gov/OCDETF.
Contact
Daniel Ball Daniel.Ball@usdoj.gov
Updated April 15, 2024
Topic
Drug Trafficking
Component