Arizona supplier sentenced to 10 years in prison for illegal fentanyl conspiracy

COLUMBUS, Ohio – An Arizona fentanyl supplier who mailed drugs to Ohio was sentenced in U.S. District Court here today to 120 months in prison.

Court documents say Jose Ruben Leyva, 46, of Phoenix, used the U.S. Postal Service to mail at least seven parcels containing controlled substances to drug traffickers in Columbus, including Ontario M. Yarbrough, 26, of Columbus.

From April until October 2023, Leyva mailed narcotics to central Ohio. Two parcels intercepted on Oct. 11 and Oct. 12 each contained between 499 and 500 grams of fentanyl.

Yarbrough operated a drug house in the city’s Hilltop area. During the same sixth month period, Yarbrough received and accepted five packages and tracked at least 13 packages from Arizona to the Columbus area. Yarbrough accepted the parcels at various locations in the city.

Investigators executed a search warrant at Yarbrough’s house after he received one of the packages. They found that the package contained almost 500 grams of fentanyl. They also seized ten other bags of white powder, two firearms and ammunition, cash and drug trafficking material from the house.

A search warrant executed days later at Leyva’s Arizona house recovered pills and powder containing fentanyl, two firearms, packaging and mailing materials, other drug paraphernalia and cash.

The defendants pleaded guilty in June and July 2024. Yarbrough was sentenced in November 2024 to 135 months in prison.

Kenneth L. Parker, United States Attorney for the Southern District of Ohio, Lesley Allison, Inspector in Charge, U.S. Postal Inspection Service (USPIS), Pittsburgh Division, and officials with the Ohio HIDTA (High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area) announced the sentence imposed today by U.S. District Judge Sarah D. Morrison. Assistant United States Attorney Damoun Delaviz is representing the United States in this case.

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