19 charged in alleged narcotics ring

DAYTON – A federal grand jury has charged 19 local individuals in a narcotics conspiracy involving more than 400 grams of fentanyl, 500 grams of methamphetamine, 500 grams of cocaine and heroin.

Eight of the defendants were arrested this morning, four were already in law enforcement custody and one has self-surrendered. Six currently remain at large.

Benjamin C. Glassman, United States Attorney for the Southern District of Ohio, and Keith Martin, Special Agent in Charge, Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), announced the charges.

Those charged include:

*Currently a fugitive

According to the 27-count indictment, Crawford Bogle and Pope (with the assistance of other co-defendants) allegedly acquired for resale bulk amounts of controlled substances, including kilogram quantities of methamphetamine, fentanyl, heroin and cocaine. Crawford Bogle and Pope then allegedly processed and repacked the illegal drugs for resale in Southern Ohio, Kentucky and elsewhere.

It is alleged the group used 13 Dayton homes, apartments and business properties to process, store and distribute the drugs and cash proceeds.

The indictment details that defendants allegedly delivered hundreds of thousands of dollars to pay for kilogram quantities of the drugs. Crawford Bogle, Pope and others used proceeds from the drug sales to purchase a variety of high-end goods, including luxury cars.

Barney allegedly provided various members of the organization with fraudulent dealership tags to conceal their true ownership of vehicles through his car dealership.

In May 2019, Barney allegedly fled from a federal task force officer after an acquaintance of the illicit organization left a stash house in Dayton while in possession of more than $100,000 in cash.

In June 2019, members of the group allegedly hid bulk cash in a Dayton park while attempting to evade federal task force officers. It is alleged that Crawford Bogle searched the park the next day in an effort to locate the cash.

Defendants are charged with attempting to, conspiring to and distributing controlled substances (10 years up to life in prison), as well as communicating to facilitate a drug crime (up to four years in prison).

U.S. Attorney Glassman commended the investigation of this case by the DEA and the assistance of the Ohio State Highway Patrol, Montgomery County Sherriff’s Office, and Dayton, Middletown and Springfield police departments, as well as Assistant United States Attorneys Brent G. Tabacchi and Dominick S. Gerace, who are prosecuting the case.

An indictment merely contains allegations, and the defendants are presumed innocent unless proven guilty in a court of law.

If you have any information regarding the whereabouts of those remaining at large, please text SOFAST and your tip to 847411.

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