Jarvis Burns, Jr., Drug Trafficking and Firearms Offenses, Ohio 2021

Violence erupted in the Lorain City Jail on May 29, 2019, when Jarvis Burns, Jr., 23, of Lorain, was taken into custody by the Lorain Police Department. During the arrest, officers witnessed Burns becoming violent and ripping open multiple bags of crack cocaine, heroin, and fentanyl, dispersing the drugs around the room and onto police officers. The chaotic scene required a HazMat team from the Lorain Fire Department to decontaminate the area, forcing the Lorain City Jail to be closed.

Later that year, in November 2019, the Elyria Police Department initiated an investigation into Burns’ drug trafficking activities. Law enforcement officials conducted a series of controlled buys, with Burns selling what was believed to be drugs to a confidential informant on four separate occasions. However, on one instance, Burns sold the informant a controlled substance, while on the other three instances, he sold non-controlled substances.

During the investigation, Burns was involved in a shooting incident in the city of Elyria. On November 25, 2019, the Elyria Police Department was dispatched to a reported shooting on Lake Avenue in Elyria. Police discovered six spent shell casings and identified two vehicles involved in the incident. An investigation revealed that Burns and another individual were involved in an argument when the other individual hit Burns with a car. Burns then fired multiple gunshots at the other individual, who was attempting to flee.

Burns pleaded guilty in June 2021 to multiple drug trafficking offenses and being a felon in possession of ammunition. On October 27, 2021, Judge Solomon Oliver, Jr. sentenced Burns to 78 months imprisonment.

Burns is prohibited from possessing a firearm and ammunition due to previous convictions for drug trafficking in the Lorain County Common Pleas Court.

This case was part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) operation, which identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level criminal organizations threatening the United States. OCDETF uses a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach. Additional information about the OCDETF Program can be found at https://www.justice.gov/OCDETF.

The effort to bring Burns to justice involved the FBI, the Lorain Police Department, the Elyria Police Department, and the Lorain County Drug Task Force, with the assistance of the United States Marshal Service. Assistant U.S. Attorney Robert J. Kolansky prosecuted the case.

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