(WJW) – Fifteen people have been charged in connection with a Lorain County drug trafficking ring that distributed more than 42,000 fentanyl pills.

According to a press release from the United States Department of Justice, 15 people have been arrested in connection with a drug trafficking operation in Lorain County and surrounding areas in Northeast Ohio.

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Court documents show the operation allegedly trafficked counterfeit pills containing fentanyl in Elyria and Lorain, according to the release.

According to the release, an investigation that took place over the course of more than a year and a half is what led to the recent arrests.

Officers were also able to seize “large amounts of fentanyl, which included thousands of fentanyl pills made to look like legitimate prescription drugs,” the release said.

Cash and several illegal firearms were also found during the search.

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“Given its extreme potency, fentanyl is extraordinarily dangerous — it poisoned and killed more than 3,500 Ohioans in 2023 alone. Distributing the drug disguised as prescription medication, as the indictment alleges the defendants did— o here, it is particularly reprehensible because it increases the danger of overdose for those who ingest it,” said United States Attorney Lutzko. “I appreciate the incredible cooperation between our federal, state and local law enforcement partners to get thousands of these deadly pills off the streets. Their dedication and hard work resulted in a successful disruption of this organization, helping to make our neighborhoods safer and free from the criminals who sell these poisons on our streets.”

Those included in the 19-count indictment are:

• Ronald Whittaker, 31, of Cleveland

• Tyvez McCullum, 30, of Elyria

• Ivan Barrios, 45, of Lorain

• Tavon Martin, 28, of Lorain

• Jaivon Wint, 27, of Lorain

• Katlynn Caudill, 22, of Lorain

• Nicholas Thomson, 47, of Elyria

• Max Kennedy, 19, from Wellington

• Jordan Johnson, 29, of Elyria

• Angela Shuck, 35, of Lorain

• Stacey Thomson, 48, of Elyria

• Tyrone Phillips, 25, of Elyria

• Joseph Kushner, 32, of Berea

• Nicholas Burkholder, 29, of Elyria

• Aubrey Brown, 29, of Elyria

According to the release, the indictment alleges that from May 2023 to October 2024, those charged conspired to distribute and possess with intent to distribute mixtures and substances containing quantities of fentanyl, a Schedule II controlled substance.

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According to the statement, McCullum and Whittaker allegedly led the operation.

“After receiving pills from Whittaker, McCullum redistributed the fentanyl pills to others listed in the indictment. These individuals would in turn distribute the fentanyl pills in their own networks in the Elyria and Lorain region. The named defendants are allegedly responsible for the distribution of at least an estimated 4,406.25 grams of fentanyl and/or 42,793 blue fentanyl pills,” the statement said.

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