AKRON, OH – Another cog in Summit County’s poison machine is off the streets. Ernest Shropshire, 38, of Akron, Ohio, received a 121-month federal sentence – roughly ten years – for flooding the area with methamphetamine and fentanyl. U.S. District Judge John R. Adams handed down the punishment after Shropshire pleaded guilty in January to charges stemming from a brazen drug conspiracy.
Shropshire wasn’t slinging dope directly to users. He was the source, the supplier, the man ensuring the flow of deadly chemicals to those who peddled it on the streets. Court documents reveal Shropshire operated from April through August 2023, using a disturbingly simple method: stashing the meth and fentanyl in a garbage can in his backyard, then tipping off buyers to its location. His primary customer? Calvin Roberts, 42, also of Akron.
Roberts, in turn, wasn’t a lone operator. He funneled the Shropshire-supplied drugs to Andrew Corbin, 36, a neighbor living just a stone’s throw away. The two men transformed their homes into mini-distribution centers, pushing the poison further into the community with the help of a network of co-conspirators. This wasn’t just about profit; it was about fueling addiction and profiting from misery.
This sentencing isn’t an isolated incident. Roberts, Corbin, and another Akron man, Phillip August, 57, have already been sentenced for their roles in the same conspiracy. The full extent of the network and its reach remains under scrutiny, but this case demonstrates the interconnected nature of drug trafficking operations and the lengths dealers will go to maximize profits.
The investigation, conducted by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF), pulled back the curtain on this operation. Agents traced the supply chain from Shropshire’s backyard to the streets of Summit County, exposing a dangerous and callous disregard for human life. Shropshire will also serve five years of supervised release following his prison term – a small consolation for the damage he’s inflicted.
Assistant United States Attorney Joseph P. Dangelo, of the Northern District of Ohio, prosecuted the case. While Shropshire is behind bars, the fight against fentanyl and methamphetamine in Summit County – and across the nation – is far from over. Grimy Times will continue to follow this case and report on the individuals who profit from the suffering of others.
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Key Facts
- State: Ohio
- Agency: DOJ USAO
- Category: Drug Trafficking
- Source: Official Source ↗
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