Rebecca C. Lutzko United States Attorney for the Northern District of Ohio | U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of Ohio
A Cleveland man has been sentenced to a decade in federal prison for his involvement in a drug distribution operation spanning the Greater Cleveland area. Murray Foster, 39, received a 120-month sentence from U.S. District Judge Pamela A. Barker after entering a guilty plea in April to charges of conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute controlled substances, as well as possession with intent to distribute.
Following his release from prison, Foster will be subject to four years of supervised release.
Court documents indicate that between April 1 and July 12, 2023, Foster and another individual conspired to distribute significant quantities of illegal drugs. The substances included over 100 grams of a fentanyl analogue, more than 400 grams of a mixture containing fentanyl, at least 500 grams of methamphetamine, and over 500 grams of cocaine base (crack).
Federal agents executed search warrants at multiple locations connected to the conspiracy. They seized more than 500 fentanyl pills, five pounds of methamphetamine, one kilogram each of fentanyl analogues and cocaine, 28 grams of crack cocaine, five handguns, a rifle, a shotgun, over $19,000 in cash, and a motorcycle. Agents also found packaging materials and other paraphernalia associated with drug trafficking.
Co-defendant Deion Thompson, age 29 and also from Cleveland, pleaded guilty in July for his role in the operation. He is scheduled for sentencing on January 5, 2026.
The investigation was led by the Southeast Area Law Enforcement Task Force along with the FBI’s Cleveland Division.
Assistant United States Attorney Payum Doroodian prosecuted the case for the Northern District of Ohio.
