15 Members of Lorain County Drug Trafficking Operation Indicted for Fentanyl Distribution
The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Ohio announced today that federal, state, and local law enforcement officials have unsealed an indictment charging 15 individuals in a major Lorain County-based drug trafficking operation (DTO). The indictment accuses the DTO of trafficking fentanyl in counterfeit pill form across Elyria, Lorain, and other areas in Northeast Ohio.
Court documents reveal that, from May 2023 to October 2024, the defendants allegedly conspired to distribute and possess fentanyl-laced pills disguised as prescription medication. The U.S. Attorney’s Office identified the two leaders of the operation: Ronald Whittaker, 31, of Cleveland, and Tyvez McCullum, 30, of Elyria. Whittaker is accused of supplying fentanyl pills to McCullum, who then redistributed them to other members of the operation.
The remaining individuals charged include:
- Ivan Barrios, 45, of Lorain
- Tavon Martin, 28, of Lorain
- Jaivon Wint, 27, of Lorain
- Katlynn Caudill, 22, of Lorain
- Nicholas Thomson, 47, of Elyria
- Max Kennedy, 19, of Wellington
- Jordan Johnson, 29, of Elyria
- Angela Shuck, 35, of Lorain
- Stacey Thomson, 48, of Elyria
- Tyrone Phillips, 25, of Elyria
- Joseph Kushner, 32, of Berea
- Nicholas Burkholder, 29, of Elyria
- Aubrey Brown, 29, of Elyria
These members are accused of distributing fentanyl pills within their networks, which contributed to the distribution of an estimated 4,406.25 grams of fentanyl, equivalent to roughly 42,793 counterfeit pills.
“Given its extreme potency, fentanyl is extraordinarily dangerous—it has poisoned and killed over 3,500 Ohioans in 2023 alone,” stated U.S. Attorney Rebecca C. Lutzko. “Distributing it disguised as legitimate prescription medication, as alleged here, heightens the overdose danger for those who ingest it.”
The indictment highlights the severity of the operation, underscoring the collaborative effort among law enforcement agencies to curb the distribution of this lethal drug in Ohio.