Dozens indicted in Medina County crack cocaine conspiracy
Suspects indicted in federal, state court
Authorities said this Bronson Street residence in Medina is one location where the crack was sold locally. Photo by ALLISON WOOD
MEDINA COUNTY – Seventeen people were indicted in federal court and 12 in state court Sept. 6 for their alleged roles in a conspiracy to purchase large amounts of powder cocaine, cook the drug into crack cocaine and then sell it in and around Medina County, law enforcement officials said.
Those indicted in federal court include: Troy Bankhead, 47, of Cleveland; Dona Battle, 44, of Cleveland; William Battle, 45, of Cleveland; Aaron Watson, 30, of Medina; Anthony Patterson, 50, of Columbia Station; Carlos Tripp, 42, of Medina; Dale Lind, 58, of Medina; Douglas Cameron, 48, of Medina; Erica Latten, 29, of Cleveland; Fannie Tripp, 60, of Medina; Felicia Finowski, 49, of Columbia Station; Jennifer Cayce, 38, of Medina; Jermaine Tripp, 36, of Medina; John Spickler, 38, of Brunswick; John Wise, 53, of Medina; Michael Powell, 42, of Medina, and Raymel King, 30, of Cleveland.
Twelve other people have been charged in state court, with 11 charged with cocaine possession and one with corrupting another with drugs, according to Gary Hubbard, director of the Medina County Drug Task Force.
They include Alan Alcorn, 47 of Medina, James Bramley, 65, of Medina, Jerald Brasty, 53, of Valley City, Christopher Camiolo, 44, of Strongsville, Vinetta Hendershot, 54, of Medina, Michael Huffman, 46, of Lodi, Nathaniel Reed, 20, of Medina, Jeff Rees, 53, of Nova, Rocco Rodriquez, 38, of Brunswick, Janet Truden, 60, of Medina, and Donald White, 63, of Medina.
Federal court documents state Bankhead sold large amounts of powder cocaine to Dona Battle between August 2016 and February 2017. Dona Battle then allegedly cooked the cocaine into crack cocaine on Royalton Road in Columbia Station (the residence of Patterson and Finowski), on Columbia Road in Medina (the residence of Cameron and Cayce), and in Cleveland (the residence of Latten).
Battle then allegedly sold the crack cocaine to several other dealers, including Watson, Lind, Carlos Tripp, William Battle, Raymel King and Jermaine Tripp, who then sold it to drug users. He then used a Bronson Street apartment in Medina (the residence of Fannie Tripp) and on Substation Road in Brunswick (the residence of Spickler) as drug houses from which he could sell crack and powder cocaine.
Spickler, Latten, Wise, Patterson and Finowski also allegedly provided transportation for Battle to obtain crack and powder cocaine for further distribution.
These cases are the result on an 18-month investigation, which was a cooperative effort between the DEA, Ohio Bureau of Criminal Investigation and the Medina County Drug Task Force. The investigation consisted of undercover purchases of drugs, the execution of search warrants and other investigative techniques. This investigation resulted in several significant seizures, including more than 37 pounds of cocaine, $516,975 in cash, a tractor-trailer, five other vehicles and five firearms.
“This organization used homes and apartments to cook crack cocaine, which it sold in and around Medina,” U.S. Attorney Justin E. Herdman said. “It was a spoke in a larger organization that trafficked a lot of cocaine. These defendants will now be held accountable for their actions.”
DEA Special Agent in Charge Timothy J. Plancon said: “Putting a stop to this criminal conspiracy is significant. The seizure of 37 pounds of cocaine and over half a million dollars of drug-dealing proceeds indicates that this group was connected with drug traffickers at the highest levels. Halting their activities makes everyone in the region safer. The efforts of the Medina County Drug Task Force and the Ohio Bureau of Criminal Investigation have been particularly integral to this investigation’s success.”
“This investigation was initiated by agents from the Medina County Drug Task Force and Cleveland office of the Drug Enforcement Administration,” said Hubbard. “The intent was to address local drug trafficking issues in the city of Medina with a focus on repeat drug trafficking offenders. The hard work and commitment by all of the agents involved resulted in one of the largest drug trafficking investigations and narcotics seizures in Medina County history.”
Hubbard said this was the biggest operation the agency had ever taken on and started in February in partnership with the DEA. The cocaine seized was likely worth around $700,000.
While much attention has been focused on the high amount of heroin overdoses, cocaine and methamphetamine-related seizures and arrests have increased in the last several months, he said.
This case was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration, Ohio Attorney General’s Bureau of Criminal Investigation, Medina County Drug Task Force, Medina County Sheriff’s Office, Medina Police Department, National Guard Intelligence, Ohio State Highway Patrol, Cleveland Division of Police, Cleveland Heights Police Department, Cuyahoga County Sheriff’s Department, Lorain County Drug Task Force, Lake County Narcotics, Akron Police Department, Summit County Drug Unit, Ashtabula County Sheriff’s Office, U.S. Border Patrol, U.S. Marshals and Suburban Police Anti-Crime Network Drug Enforcement Unit, with assistance from the Medina County Prosecutor’s Office.
Those indicted in federal court include: Troy Bankhead, 47, of Cleveland; Dona Battle, 44, of Cleveland; William Battle, 45, of Cleveland; Aaron Watson, 30, of Medina; Anthony Patterson, 50, of Columbia Station; Carlos Tripp, 42, of Medina; Dale Lind, 58, of Medina; Douglas Cameron, 48, of Medina; Erica Latten, 29, of Cleveland; Fannie Tripp, 60, of Medina; Felicia Finowski, 49, of Columbia Station; Jennifer Cayce, 38, of Medina; Jermaine Tripp, 36, of Medina; John Spickler, 38, of Brunswick; John Wise, 53, of Medina; Michael Powell, 42, of Medina, and Raymel King, 30, of Cleveland.
Twelve other people have been charged in state court, with 11 charged with cocaine possession and one with corrupting another with drugs, according to Gary Hubbard, director of the Medina County Drug Task Force.
They include Alan Alcorn, 47 of Medina, James Bramley, 65, of Medina, Jerald Brasty, 53, of Valley City, Christopher Camiolo, 44, of Strongsville, Vinetta Hendershot, 54, of Medina, Michael Huffman, 46, of Lodi, Nathaniel Reed, 20, of Medina, Jeff Rees, 53, of Nova, Rocco Rodriquez, 38, of Brunswick, Janet Truden, 60, of Medina, and Donald White, 63, of Medina.
Federal court documents state Bankhead sold large amounts of powder cocaine to Dona Battle between August 2016 and February 2017. Dona Battle then allegedly cooked the cocaine into crack cocaine on Royalton Road in Columbia Station (the residence of Patterson and Finowski), on Columbia Road in Medina (the residence of Cameron and Cayce), and in Cleveland (the residence of Latten).
Battle then allegedly sold the crack cocaine to several other dealers, including Watson, Lind, Carlos Tripp, William Battle, Raymel King and Jermaine Tripp, who then sold it to drug users. He then used a Bronson Street apartment in Medina (the residence of Fannie Tripp) and on Substation Road in Brunswick (the residence of Spickler) as drug houses from which he could sell crack and powder cocaine.
Spickler, Latten, Wise, Patterson and Finowski also allegedly provided transportation for Battle to obtain crack and powder cocaine for further distribution.
These cases are the result on an 18-month investigation, which was a cooperative effort between the DEA, Ohio Bureau of Criminal Investigation and the Medina County Drug Task Force. The investigation consisted of undercover purchases of drugs, the execution of search warrants and other investigative techniques. This investigation resulted in several significant seizures, including more than 37 pounds of cocaine, $516,975 in cash, a tractor-trailer, five other vehicles and five firearms.
“This organization used homes and apartments to cook crack cocaine, which it sold in and around Medina,” U.S. Attorney Justin E. Herdman said. “It was a spoke in a larger organization that trafficked a lot of cocaine. These defendants will now be held accountable for their actions.”
DEA Special Agent in Charge Timothy J. Plancon said: “Putting a stop to this criminal conspiracy is significant. The seizure of 37 pounds of cocaine and over half a million dollars of drug-dealing proceeds indicates that this group was connected with drug traffickers at the highest levels. Halting their activities makes everyone in the region safer. The efforts of the Medina County Drug Task Force and the Ohio Bureau of Criminal Investigation have been particularly integral to this investigation’s success.”
“This investigation was initiated by agents from the Medina County Drug Task Force and Cleveland office of the Drug Enforcement Administration,” said Hubbard. “The intent was to address local drug trafficking issues in the city of Medina with a focus on repeat drug trafficking offenders. The hard work and commitment by all of the agents involved resulted in one of the largest drug trafficking investigations and narcotics seizures in Medina County history.”
Hubbard said this was the biggest operation the agency had ever taken on and started in February in partnership with the DEA. The cocaine seized was likely worth around $700,000.
While much attention has been focused on the high amount of heroin overdoses, cocaine and methamphetamine-related seizures and arrests have increased in the last several months, he said.
This case was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration, Ohio Attorney General’s Bureau of Criminal Investigation, Medina County Drug Task Force, Medina County Sheriff’s Office, Medina Police Department, National Guard Intelligence, Ohio State Highway Patrol, Cleveland Division of Police, Cleveland Heights Police Department, Cuyahoga County Sheriff’s Department, Lorain County Drug Task Force, Lake County Narcotics, Akron Police Department, Summit County Drug Unit, Ashtabula County Sheriff’s Office, U.S. Border Patrol, U.S. Marshals and Suburban Police Anti-Crime Network Drug Enforcement Unit, with assistance from the Medina County Prosecutor’s Office.