Rebecca C. Lutzko United States Attorney for the Northern District of Ohio | U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of Ohio
A Canadian citizen has been sentenced to 36 months in prison for possessing 90 pounds of MDMA with the intent to distribute. Dontavius Forbes, 27, received his sentence from U.S. District Judge Jeffrey J. Helmick on November 21, after pleading guilty in June. Following completion of his prison term, Forbes will be deported to Canada.
According to court records, the case began on August 7, 2024, when a U.S. Border Patrol agent noticed a compact SUV with Canadian license plates parked at a service plaza near the Ohio Turnpike in Sandusky County. The agent initiated contact with Forbes, who was driving the vehicle. A consensual search led agents to find modifications in the cargo area and two hidden compartments containing vacuum-sealed packages suspected of holding illegal drugs.
Field testing confirmed that one package contained MDMA, and authorities also seized nearly $3,000 in cash from the vehicle. Subsequent laboratory analysis verified that all recovered packages contained MDMA.
The investigation was conducted by agents from the U.S. Border Patrol-Sandusky Bay Station and the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA). Assistant United States Attorney Frank H. Spryszak prosecuted the case for the Northern District of Ohio.
