In a significant blow to the opioid epidemic, a Lorain, Ohio man has been sentenced to 15 years in prison for his role in distributing and possessing fentanyl.
Gregory Ralston, 33, of Lorain, Ohio, was sentenced on Friday, July 28, 2023 by U.S. District Judge John R. Adams, after a jury convicted him of distributing fentanyl and possessing additional fentanyl with the intent to distribute it.
The exact criminal charges against Ralston include distributing fentanyl and possessing additional fentanyl with the intent to distribute it. He was ordered to serve 10 years of supervised release following imprisonment and pay a $200 special assessment.
The investigation that led to Ralston’s conviction was conducted by the Lorain Police Department and the FBI as part of Operation Synthetic Opioid Surge (S.O.S.), a joint law enforcement initiative that seeks to reduce the supply of deadly synthetic opioids and to identify wholesale distribution networks and international and domestic suppliers in Lorain County.
The case against Ralston was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Robert J. Kolansky and Payum Doroodian. On May 13, 2020, Ralston sold fentanyl, prompting a swift response from law enforcement.
The next day, detectives from the Lorain and Elyria Police Departments, and Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) agents, arrested Ralston outside a restaurant in Lorain, Ohio. Ralston possessed additional fentanyl with the intent to distribute it.
Gregory Ralston, 33, was arrested on May 14, 2020 outside a restaurant in Lorain, Ohio, after selling and possessing fentanyl. Ralston was ordered to serve 15 years in prison and 10 years of supervised release following imprisonment and pay a $200 special assessment.
Related Federal Cases
- Michael Howard, Fentanyl Distribution, Ohio 2024 · Kentucky
- Edward Jewell, Fentanyl Possession with Intent to Distribute, Ohio · Ohio
- Leroy Shuarod Steele, Fentanyl Distribution Conspiracy, Ohio 2024 · Wisconsin
- Erin House, Trafficking in Methamphetamine Fentanyl Cocaine, Ohio 2023 · Wisconsin
- Roderick Cross Jr., Fentanyl Trafficking, Ohio 2024 · Ohio
Key Facts
- State: Ohio
- Category: Drug Trafficking
- Source: DOJ Press Release â†â€â€
ðŸâ€Â’ Get the grimiest stories delivered weekly. Subscribe free →
MORE FEDERAL CRIME NEWS
Drug TraffickingDrug TraffickingDrug TraffickingDrug Trafficking