A Toledo man and a man from Texas were each indicted for their roles in a conspiracy to distribute at least 11 pounds of cocaine.
John Anthony Rivas, 31, of Mission, Texas, and Charles Warren Tobias, 33, of Toledo, were each charged with conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute at least five kilograms of cocaine. Rivas faces additional federal firearms charges, including use of a firearm in relation to drug trafficking, being a felon in possession of firearms and possession of an unregistered short-barreled shotgun.
Rivas and Tobias conspired to distribute the drugs between 2016 and April 2018, according to the indictment.
Rivas on April 4 had a Savage Arms 12-gauge sawed-off shotgun and a Hermann Weihrauch.357-caliber revolver that he used in relation to the cocaine conspiracy. Rivas was prohibited from having firearms because of several prior convictions, according to the indictment
If convicted, the defendants' sentences will be be determined by the Court after reviewing factors unique to this case, including the defendants' prior criminal record, if any, the defendants' role in the offense and the characteristics of the violation. In all cases the sentence will not exceed the statutory maximum and in most cases it will be less than the maximum.
The investigating agency in this case are the Drug Enforcement Administration. The case is being handled by Assistant U.S. Attorney Thomas P. Weldon.
An indictment is only a charge and is not evidence of guilt. The burden of proof is always on the government to prove a defendant guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.
Source: U.S. Department of Justice, Office of the United States Attorneys
