TOLEDO, Ohio — Two Indian nationals, Gurpinder Singh, 30, and Gursharn Singh, 25, have been sentenced to 10 years in federal prison each after pleading guilty to possession with intent to distribute a controlled substance, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Ohio.
The sentencing, handed down by U.S. District Court Judge James R. Knepp, follows an investigation that led to the seizure of nearly 50 kilograms of cocaine.
Court documents reveal that on October 3, 2023, a U.S. Border Patrol agent and Ohio State Highway Patrol troopers noticed a semi-truck parked unusually long at a travel plaza off Interstate 280 in Wood County. The truck’s USDOT numbers were flagged due to past associations with drug trafficking.
Authorities monitored the vehicle as it later moved to a second travel plaza and remained parked for more than 24 hours in total. Due to the suspicious behavior, agents from the DEA’s Toledo Field Office conducted a consensual encounter with the two men operating the truck.
During the interaction, Gurpinder Singh falsely claimed they had not been at the earlier location. A K-9 unit was deployed and alerted to the presence of narcotics on the passenger side of the vehicle. A probable cause search led to the discovery of multiple duffel bags containing kilogram-sized packages. Lab tests later confirmed the contents to be 49.9 kilograms of powder cocaine.
Further investigation revealed that both men were in the U.S. unlawfully and will face deportation after completing their prison terms.
The case was handled by the DEA Toledo Task Force, the Ohio State Highway Patrol, and the U.S. Border Patrol Sandusky Bay Station, and prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Frank H. Spryszak.
