Federal authorities have charged three men with being part of a drug trafficking conspiracy that is alleged to have landed more than 1,100 pounds of cocaine in the Cleveland area from Mexico.
Christopher Ficklin, 49, and Robert Atkinson, 41, both of Cleveland, are charged in a 30-count indictment along with David Gomez-Orrantia, 41, of Mexico, with all three being taken into custody earlier this month, according to a March 15 Department of Justice news release. Among the charges each man face are conspiracy to distribute controlled substances, interstate travel in aid of racketeering, possession with intent to distribute cocaine, distribution of cocaine, international money laundering and use of a communications facility to facilitate a felony drug offense. In addition, Ficklin is also charged as a felon in possession of a firearm.
“Drug trafficking organizations target communities like Cleveland because they mistakenly assume nobody is paying attention,” Acting U.S. Attorney Michelle M. Baeppler said. “To those drug traffickers, both foreign and domestic, who think that our communities and neighborhoods here in Northern Ohio are open for your businesses – know that we are watching, we are paying attention, we will act and we will not stand for it.”
According to the indictment, early in the summer of 2020, Gomez-Orrantia and others shipped kilogram quantities of cocaine from Mexico to a warehouse in Cleveland, controlled by Ficklin. From there, Ficklin is alleged to have passed the drugs on to Atkinson and others to be further redistributed.
It is alleged the conspirators used vehicles with hidden compartments to store and transport the cocaine. In the end, the indictment charges the drug trafficking organization smuggled more than 500 kilograms of cocaine into the state, paving the way for ring members to send around $13 million in drug trafficking earnings back to Mexico.
The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Robert J. Kolansky with the investigation having been conducted by the DEA, Cleveland Heights Police Department, Cuyahoga County Sherriff’s Office and the Ohio State Highway Patrol.
