7 Indicted for Heroin, Cocaine in Youngstown

Feds have thrown the book at seven alleged drug kingpins in Warren and Youngstown, Ohio, charging them with a 48-count indictment for conspiracy to traffic heroin and cocaine. The defendants, including Thomas I. Sledge, 38, of Youngstown; Preston D. Sims Jr., 33, of Akron; Levar A. Johnson, 41; Khalef K. Freeman, 37; James A. Lipscomb, 40; Christopher L. Williams, 39, and Lajuna R. Brown, 30, all stand accused of distributing the illegal substances between September 2017 and June 2018.

The indictment alleges that Sims supplied heroin to Sledge, who then distributed it to Johnson, Freeman, Lipscomb, Williams, and Brown. Sledge, in turn, obtained cocaine from an unknown source and supplied it to Freeman for distribution. The ring operated out of both Warren and Youngstown during the specified period.

According to the charges, Sledge also distributed cocaine in the fall of 2017. Additionally, the defendants are accused of using a communication facility to further their drug trafficking activities between January and March 2018.

‘These defendants are charged with seeking to profit from the drug epidemic that has plagued all of Ohio and hit the Mahoning Valley particularly hard,’ said U.S. Attorney Justin E. Herdman. ‘We will seek long prison sentences for people who bring cocaine, heroin, and other illicit drugs into our neighborhoods.’

Assistant United States Attorney David M. Toepfer is handling the prosecution of this case, which was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration and the Warren Police Department’s Street Crimes Unit.

It’s important to note that an indictment is only a charge and does not prove guilt. The defendants are entitled to a fair trial, where the government must prove their guilt beyond a reasonable doubt.

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