CINCINNATI, Ohio — A federal grand jury has indicted 14 people in connection with a narcotics conspiracy that has been ongoing for at least the past four years, according to the indictment.
Each of the defendants is accused of conspiring to distribute 400 grams or more of fentanyl, a crime punishable by at least 10 years and up to life in prison if convicted.
Aside from possessing and distributing heroin and methamphetamine, the defendants were also in possession of and involved in the distribution of crystal meth, according to federal investigators.
The co-conspirators were initially charged in a criminal complaint on Nov. 15, according to court records. Thirteen of the accused have been apprehended and will appear in federal court in Cincinnati on Monday, March 18. Sterling Parish is a fugitive who is wanted by the authorities on an outstanding arrest warrant. Information on the whereabouts of Sterling Parish should be directed to the FBI Cincinnati at 513-421-4310.
According to an affidavit submitted in support of the criminal complaint, Steffen Roberson, also known as “Worm,” was in charge of one of the major heroin/fentanyl narcotics trafficking networks in the greater Cincinnati area. The drug trafficking network is also suspected of distributing narcotics in the cities of Akron, Fairfield, and Gary, Indiana, among other places.
The organization was purportedly renowned for obtaining drugs from a variety of sources, including drug distribution centers in Atlanta and Baltimore. It is claimed that Roberson would purchase distributable volumes of opioids in exchange for cash payments totaling hundreds of thousands of dollars.
According to the indictment, Anthony Roberson, also known as the “chemist,” is accused of manufacturing heroin and fentanyl mixes for the drug trafficking organization by cutting drugs with fillers and looking for ways to make the drug mixtures more potent.
Hundreds of search warrants have been executed on co-conspirators’ homes across the country since 2018, with huge quantities of fentanyl and loaded guns being found on a consistent basis.
In total, law enforcement has seized nearly $150,000 in cash, 10 kilos of fentanyl, various cars, and 28 guns in connection with the investigation, according to the FBI.