MANSFIELD, Ohio — Law enforcement from federal, state and local jurisdictions went across Mansfield, surrounding cities and Detroit, Michigan Thursday morning to arrest members of two alleged separate drug trafficking organizations.
At approximately 6 a.m., more than 200 law enforcement officers arrested 45 of 79 individuals indicted on drug charges, according to Eric B. Smith, special agent in charge of the FBI’s Cleveland Division.
CORRECTION: Law enforcement officials originally misidentified one of the suspects. Andre McCrary Sr. was not a suspect in this conspiracy case and is not in custody. The photo of McCrary Sr. above has been blurred. The correct photo should have been of 24-year-old Andre McCrary. His indictment for trafficking cocaine is still active, and his photo is below:
An updated news release from the Metrich Enforcement Unit states: "Our sincere apologies on this mistake and we are in the process of investigating how Mr. McCrary’s picture was inserted into the photo lineup."
“We often said it takes a network to defeat a network,” said Smith, adding that statement remains true after collaborative efforts from federal, state and local law enforcement successfully executed the operation.
The two organizations dealt with different products but what they had in common was bringing dangerous and deadly drugs into the Mansfield area, according to Justin E. Herdman, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Ohio
The first indictment charges 23 people with conspiracy to possess with the intent to distribute fentanyl, heroin, oxycodone and marijuana, among other charges.
The members of that organization bought heroin and fentanyl from suppliers in Detroit and Mansfield, so they could resell it in Mansfield, according to the indictment.
“As we so often see in these cases involving large amounts of drugs and large amounts of cash, we always are finding guns and that’s what we indeed have here," Herdman said, talking about the first indictment.
The second indictment charges 20 people with the conspiracy to possess with the intent to distribute heroin, crack cocaine, cocaine and methamphetamine, among other charges.
When asked what makes Mansfield and surrounding areas attractive for drug traffickers to operate, Smith said the proximity to the highway is one of the factors that contributes to the surge of drug trafficking.
