CINCINNATI — A federal grand jury has indicted Derrick Ferris, 44, of Cincinnati, and Jose Antonio Garcia, 22, of Lynwood, Calif., on charges tied to a fentanyl distribution ring that moved more than a kilogram of the deadly opioid and laundered over $500,000 in illicit cash across state lines.
The men are charged with conspiring to possess fentanyl with intent to distribute and smuggling bulk cash to evade federal reporting laws. The narcotics conspiracy carries a mandatory minimum of 10 years in prison and a maximum sentence of life behind bars, while the cash smuggling charge alone is punishable by up to five years.
Authorities from the Miami Valley Bulk Smuggling Task Force and the Southwestern Ohio Bulk Smuggling-Major Drug Interdiction Task Force seized the drugs and cash during an ongoing investigation. Both task forces operate under the Ohio Attorney General’s Organized Crime Investigations Commission and include federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies.
According to the indictment, between May 7 and August 5, 2020, Ferris — also known as Kelvin Croom — and Garcia transported large sums of U.S. currency out of the country to avoid triggering currency reporting requirements. The operation was designed to conceal the proceeds of their narcotics trafficking.
If convicted, federal prosecutors are seeking forfeiture of more than $500,000 in cash, along with two gold Rolex watches, two gold chains, three handguns, and associated ammunition — assets allegedly purchased with drug profits.
The charges were announced by David M. DeVillers, U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Ohio, along with top officials from Homeland Security Investigations, the FBI, Ohio Attorney General Dave Yost, and multiple county sheriffs. Christy L. Muncy of the OCDETF is prosecuting. An indictment is not a conviction — both Ferris and Garcia are presumed innocent until proven guilty in court.
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Key Facts
- State: Ohio
- Agency: DOJ USAO
- Category: Drug Trafficking|Organized Crime
- Source: Official Source ↗
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