An 84-count indictment was filed in federal court charging 12 people for their roles in a conspiracy to distribute cocaine in the Youngstown area, said Carole S. Rendon, Acting United States Attorney for the Northern District of Ohio.
The indictment alleges that between March 2015 and continuing through January 2016, the following individuals knowingly conspired to possess with the intent to distribute and to distribute cocaine: Jose G. Martinez, aka Lupe, 42, of Austintown, Ohio; Ricardo Bustillos-Ramos, 46, of Austintown, Ohio; Jonathan Rivera, 30, of Dallas; Lilia Comacho-Jimenez, 32, of Austintown, Ohio; Pedro Aboite-Espitia, 44, of New Carlisle, Ohio; Raymone T. West, 26, of Springfield, Ohio; Bruce Cuevas, Sr., 61, of Youngstown; Felipe Hildago-Rivera, 30, of Des Moines, Iowa; Justin D. Trevor, 28, of Wellsville, Ohio; Joseph W. Warrick, 54, of East Liverpool, Ohio; John N. Clemens, 71, of Kensington, Ohio, and Michael S. Patterson, 41, of Springfield, Ohio.
It was part of the conspiracy that Rivera and Aboite-Espitia supplied cocaine to Martinez for distribution in the Youngstown area. Martinez supplied cocaine to Trever, Clemens and Warrick for redistribution in the Northern District of Ohio and to West and Patterson for redistribution in the Southern District of Ohio, according to the indictment.
It was further part of the conspiracy that Bustillos-Ramos transported cocaine from Texas to Martinez in Ohio. Cuevas transported drugs and drug proceeds for the organization while Hildago-Rivera possessed and transported cocaine for the organization. The conspirators used cellular telephones, code words and phrases to facilitate their drug trafficking activities, according to the indictment.
If convicted, the defendants’ sentences will be determined by the court after review of factors unique to this case, including the defendant’s prior criminal record, if any, the defendant’s role in the offense and the characteristics of the violations. In all cases, the sentence will not exceed the statutory maximum and, in most cases, it will be less than the maximum.
The investigation preceding the indictment was conducted by the Drug Enforcement Administration. The matter is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney David M. Toepfer.
An indictment is only a charge and is not evidence of guilt. A defendant is entitled to a fair trial in which it will be the government’s burden to prove guilt beyond a reasonable doubt.
Source: U.S. Department of Justice, Office of the United States Attorneys
