CLEVELAND, Ohio — Five individuals involved in a Northeast Ohio drug trafficking operation have been sentenced following the fentanyl-related death of a Cleveland woman.
Gregory Johnson, 30, of Cleveland, pleaded guilty to involuntary manslaughter, drug offenses, and engaging in a pattern of corrupt activity — Ohio’s equivalent of federal RICO charges. He was sentenced Monday to 23 years in prison by Cuyahoga County Common Pleas Judge David Matia.
Johnson was on bond in three separate drug cases when 35-year-old Stephanie Ann Barath died from a fentanyl overdose in her Broadview Road home on July 7, 2024. Prosecutors say Johnson supplied the lethal fentanyl to Jasmine Faye and Robert Ferguson under the orders of Demario Jones, 28, who still awaits trial on multiple charges, including involuntary manslaughter and conspiracy.
Faye, 35, received 15 years, Ferguson, 35, was sentenced to 22 years, and two other associates, Brittany Weaver and Joseph Cuevas, were sentenced to six and three years, respectively. Another associate, Kayla McKenzie, is awaiting sentencing.
Judge Matia emphasized Johnson’s role in a “major drug trafficking operation” in the Cleveland area. Prosecutors noted Johnson knowingly sold a deadly batch of fentanyl, calling him a “dealer of death.”
Johnson tearfully apologized to Barath’s family and his own, including his 6-year-old daughter, acknowledging he won’t see her milestones. His attorney maintained that Johnson was not the ring leader and tried to warn customers about the fentanyl’s potency.
Cuyahoga County Prosecutor Michael O’Malley stated the sentences aim to hold drug dealers accountable and give them time to reflect on their future actions.
