Five California Residents Indicted For Conspiracy To Bring Cocaine To Cleveland Area

Five California residents were charged in a three-count federal indictment filed in Cleveland related to a conspiracy to bring multiple kilograms of cocaine to the Cleveland area, said Steven M. Dettelbach, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Ohio.

In Count 1, Jesse Owen Ray, age 28, of Los Angeles; Peter Howard, age 53, of Compton, California; Tonya Johnson, age 42, of Los Angeles; Harold Pugh, age 66, of Los Angeles; and Will McCraw, age 67, of Compton, California, were charged with conspiracy to possess with the intent to distribute approximately four kilograms of cocaine.

In Count 2, Johnson was charged with possession with the intent to distribute two kilograms of cocaine.

In Count 3, Ray and Howard were charged with possession with the intent to distribute two kilograms of cocaine.

This indictment is based on the investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Immigration and Customs Enforcement of Homeland Security, High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area Task Force, Cuyahoga County Sheriff’s Office, and Lakewood Police Department into drug trafficking activities occurring in the Greater Cleveland area and elsewhere.

This case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Teresa L. Dirksen and Matthew Shepherd.

If convicted, the defendants' sentences will be determined by the Court after review of factors unique to this case, including the defendants’ prior criminal records, if any, their role in the offenses and the unique characteristics of the violations. In all cases, the sentence will not exceed the statutory maximum and in most cases it will be less than the maximum.

An indictment is only a charge and is not evidence of guilt. A defendant is entitled to a fair trial in which it will be the government's burden to prove guilt beyond a reasonable doubt.