U.S. Attorney DeVillers announces results in fight against opioid crisis 2 years after launch of operation S.O.S.

DAYTON – In July 2018, the Department of Justice announced the launch of Operation Synthetic Opioid Surge (S.O.S), a program aimed at reducing the supply of synthetic opioids in 10 high impact areas, including the Southern District of Ohio, and identifying wholesale distribution networks and international and domestic suppliers.

Under Operation SOS, the United States Attorneys in 10 districts with some of the highest drug overdose death rates in the country each designated a county where they would focus on prosecuting every readily available case involving fentanyl, fentanyl analogues, and other synthetic opioids, regardless of the drug quantity.

“The Justice Department’s commitment to fighting the opioids epidemic is stronger than ever, and we are using every tool in our arsenal to disrupt the supply of these drugs on our streets,” said Deputy Attorney General Jeffrey A. Rosen. “Operation SOS has had a significant positive impact on the communities where it is being employed. The Department will continue to build on these successes and work to stop the drug traffickers who so callously wreck lives.”

In Dayton, 106 defendants have been charged in federal court since the initiative started, including approximately 50 defendants charged in FY2020.

One Dayton case – U.S. v. Marco Villa et al. – involved the lead defendant arranging for bulk amounts of fentanyl to be shipped from Mexico to his grandmother’s house in Dayton where it was picked up and kept at various places around the city. When federal agents questioned him on June 26, 2019, they seized 483 grams of fentanyl at his house. The defendant intended to accept another 256 grams that day.

Villa was sentenced on Sept. 9 to 150 months in prison.

U.S. v. Anthony Franklin, et al. involves an individual who had previously served a nine-year state prison sentence for drug trafficking. On Oct. 22, 2019, after law enforcement observed activity consistent with drug transactions, including the delivery of what appeared to be a kilogram of narcotics by a courier, members of the FBI Safe Streets Task Force executed a search warrant at a residence in Dayton, where they located three firearms, 1,205 grams of methamphetamine, 1,716 grams of fentanyl, 305 grams of heroin, drug processing equipment and 12 cell phones.

One of the recovered cell phones contained photographs of multiple kilograms of fentanyl and communications with a narcotics supplier. Through subsequent investigation, law enforcement recovered an additional 19.5 kilograms of fentanyl/carfentanil.

Another case involved defendant Robert Cartwright. On Oct. 9, 2019, members of the Dayton -based Regional Agencies Narcotics and Gun Enforcement Task Force (RANGE), working in conjunction with DEA Ft. Wayne, watched an Indiana-based distributor of heroin/fentanyl purchase approximately 100 grams of fentanyl from Cartwright in Dayton. On Oct. 17, 2019, RANGE executed a search warrant at Cartwright’s residence, and located 673.73 grams of fentanyl, a Glock 19, a Bushmaster AR-15 rifle, $42,424 in cash, and drug processing equipment, including a hydraulic press and press parts, and five digital scales. 

Cartwright has pleaded guilty and is currently awaiting sentencing.

“Street drug dealers often mix or ‘cut’ their dope with fentanyl, a drug 50 times more powerful than pure heroin and so potent that a few grains the size of salt can kill a person,” said U.S. Attorney David M. DeVillers. “More than 230 people in Montgomery County have died from accidental illegal drug overdoses so far this year and statistically, it’s likely that many of the deaths can be tied to fentanyl.”

U.S. Attorney DeVillers commended the Assistant United States Attorneys and supporting staff of the Dayton U.S. Attorney’s Office for their efforts in prosecuting more than 100 fentanyl cases over the past two years.

Nationally, since 2018, Operation SOS has resulted in approximately 750 defendants being charged in federal court, with 384 of those defendants charged thus far in FY 20. Most importantly, the districts participating in the program have seen a decline in opioid overdoses. From 2017 to 2019, most SOS counties reported a decline of 14% to 24%. One notable success was in the Western District of Pennsylvania, where the opioid overdose rates declined by nearly 45%.

The nine other participating districts and some of their successes include:

• The Eastern District of California has reported 60 active Operation S.O.S. investigations. Recently, the USAO charged one sentence-enhanced “death resulting” prosecution.  In February 2020, another investigation resulted in the seizure of over 20,000 fentanyl-laced counterfeit oxycodone pills.
• The Eastern District of Kentucky reported that an SOS investigation led to a residential search warrant and seizure of more than 1,300 grams of fentanyl, more than 500 grams of methamphetamine, $15,000 cash, two firearms, and paraphernalia used to traffic narcotics including a device for pressing fentanyl into a brick-like shape
• The District of Maine reported a July 2020 arrest of a defendant on charges of distributing counterfeit fentanyl pills marked as Percocet, in connection with a fatal fentanyl overdose that occurred in May 2020. In addition, a Maine man was sentenced in February 2020 to five years in prison for two counts of possession with intent to distribute fentanyl, in connection with an incident where the defendant was found in possession of fentanyl less than 24 hours after he was released on a state summons for possession of fentanyl.
• The District of New Hampshire reported the October 2019 arrest of a man on a warrant for distributing fentanyl. Manchester Police Detectives executed a search warrant on a local drug-house, where they located approximately 850 grams of methamphetamine and 56 grams of fentanyl, several assault-style rifles, a handgun, ammunition, scales, safes, cash, and cellphones.   
• The Northern District of Ohio reported a 10-defendant wire case involving a drug trafficking organization (DTO) operating out of Elyria and Sandusky, Ohio.  The DTO purchased kilogram quantities of cocaine and oxycodone pills.  Co-conspirators would later cook the cocaine and sell it as crack to local dealers in Elyria.  During the conspiracy, agents seized approximately ½ kilo of cocaine, 100 grams of crack, oxycodone pills, and five firearms.
• The Western District of Pennsylvania prosecuted 98 SOS cases thus far in FY 2020. Particularly noteworthy among them is the prosecution of Lynell Guyton. Guyton was convicted by a jury of conspiracy to distribute 100 grams or more of cyclopropyl fentanyl and other charges, including firearms and money laundering violations.  Guyton, who had been receiving shipments of fentanyl analogues from China, is both a Career Offender and an Armed Career Criminal. The case gained media attention when, during the execution of a search warrant in connection with the charges, the conspirators tipped over a table, sending cyclopropyl fentanyl into the air, sickening several law enforcement officers on the scene.
• The Eastern District of Tennessee reported multiple cases arising out of a single investigation involving a drug trafficking organization responsible for trafficking heroin and fentanyl from Michigan to various communities in the Eastern District of Tennessee. 29 defendants have been indicted on various charges, including drug trafficking conspiracy, overdose death enhancements, money-laundering conspiracy, and various firearms offenses.  More than 5.5 kilograms of heroin and/or fentanyl and 11 firearms were seized during the investigation. 
• The Northern District of West Virginia reported a July 21, 2020, 44- count indictment against 12 defendants.  During the nearly yearlong investigation, law enforcement officers seized more than 280 grams of cocaine base and more than 40 grams of fentanyl from one of the defendant’s residences in Harpers Ferry, West Virginia. Throughout the investigation, officers seized more than 280 grams of fentanyl, acetyl fentanyl, and heroin; more than 350 grams of cocaine base; more than one kilogram of liquid PCP; various amounts of cocaine; five firearms; and over $28,000.
• The Southern District of West Virginia reported that after a three-day trial, a jury convicted Steven McCallister of distribution of fentanyl, possession with the intent to distribute fentanyl, being a felon in possession of a firearm, and possession of a firearm in furtherance of drug trafficking.  Officers conducted a 50-gram purchase of heroin from McCallister, which then led to the execution of a search warrant at McCallister’s home.  Officers seized over one kilogram of fentanyl and a firearm. 

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