CLEVELAND — A man who was arrested in March and accused of heading up a drug ring that flooded the streets with heroin and fentanyl has been sentenced to spend the next four decades in prison.
According to the U.S. Attorney's Office, Joseph P. Gray Jr., 30, previously pleaded guilty to 22 counts and was sentenced to 40 years in prison.
His charges included conspiracy to distribute controlled substances, distributing and possessing with intent to distribute controlled substances, possessing a firearm as a felon, and possessing a firearm in furtherance of drug trafficking, according to the attorney's office.
Authorities say he led a "wide-ranging conspiracy to distribute heroin, fentanyl, fentanyl analogues, crack cocaine and other drugs as well as firearms offenses."
After serving his time, Gray will be placed on 10 years of supervised release, the attorney's office said.
“This defendant dealt death for profit and celebrated the overdose of people suffering from addiction," U.S. Attorney Justin Herdman said. “Every day of this four-decade sentence was well earned by Joseph Gray and this term of imprisonment sends a powerful message to anyone selling heroin, fentanyl, and cocaine: These Ohio neighborhoods belong to us, not you."
Gray was among nearly two dozen people arrested in Operation: Crazy Train for their role in trafficking drugs across Northeast Ohio. Twenty of Gray's co-defendants have pleaded guilty. Most of those individuals are still awaiting sentencing, authorities said.
