Federal, state and local law enforcement officials have unsealed an indictment charging 15 members of a drug trafficking operation (DTO) based in Lorain County, according to a news release.

The drug operation allegedly trafficked fentanyl in the form of counterfeit pills in the cities of Elyria and Lorain and surrounding areas in Northeast Ohio, according to court documents.

This announcement was made by US Attorney Rebecca C. Lutzko, DEA Special Agent in Charge Orville Greene, FBI Special Agent in Charge Greg Nelsen and Lorain Police Chief James P. McCann.

The investigation that led to the indictment took place over 18 months, according to the release.

Agents detained individuals in a series of coordinated arrests.

Large amounts of fentanyl were seized, which included thousands of fentanyl pills made to look like legitimate prescription drugs.

Agents also discovered cash and several illegally possessed firearms during the investigation.

“Given its extreme potency, fentanyl is extraordinarily dangerous — it poisoned and killed more than 3,500 Ohioans in 2023 alone,” Lutzko said in the statement. “Distributing it disguised as a legitimate prescription drug, as the indictment alleges they did here, is particularly reprehensible because it increases the danger of overdose for those who ingest it.

“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 led to a successful disruption of this organization, helping to make our neighborhoods safer and free from the criminals who sell these poisons on our streets.”

Defendants charged in the 19-count indictment:

• Tyvez McCullum, 30, Elyria

• Ivan Barrios, 45, Lorain

• Tavon Martin, 28, Lorain

• Jaivon Wint, 27, Lorain

• Katlynn Caudill, 22, Lorain

• Nicholas Thomson, 47, Elyria

• Max Kennedy, 19, Wellington

• Jordan Johnson, 29, Elyria

• Angela Shuck, 35, Lorain

• Stacey Thomson, 48, Elyria

• Tyrone Phillips, 25, Elyria

• Nicholas Burkholder, 29, Elyria

• Aubrey Brown, 29, Elyria

• Joseph Kushner, 32, Berea

• Ronald Whittaker, 31, Cleveland

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

McCullum and Whittaker are alleged to have led the conspiracy.

After receiving pills from Whittaker, McCullum would redistribute the fentanyl pills to others listed in the indictment, the release said.

Those individuals would in turn distribute the fentanyl pills in their own networks in Elyria and Lorain County, the release said.

The named defendants were allegedly responsible for the distribution of at least an estimated 4,406.25 grams of fentanyl and/or 42,793 blue fentanyl pills, according to the release.

“We will continue to leverage every resource at our disposal to disrupt, dismantle and defeat the drug trafficking organizations that spread deadly poisons across Ohio,” Greene said in the statement. “Our collaboration with local, state and federal partners is not just about law enforcement, it’s about protecting the future of our communities and ensuring they remain safe and drug-free.”

“Illegal drugs are devastating lives and corrupting communities across northern Ohio,” Nelsen said in the release. “This indictment underscores the commitment not only of the FBI, but also of our multi-agency partners working collaboratively to identify local drug traffickers and disrupt and dismantle their drug trafficking networks.

An indictment is only an accusation and is not proof of guilt.

If convicted, each defendant’s sentence will be determined by the Court after consideration of factors unique to that case, including each defendant’s prior criminal record, if any, each defendant’s role in the offense and the characteristics of the offense.

In all cases the penalty will not exceed the statutory maximum and in most cases it will be less than the maximum.

This investigation is part of an Organized Crime Drug Task Force (OCDETF) investigation.

The task force identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level drug traffickers, money launderers, gangs, and transnational criminal organizations that threaten the United States using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach that leverages the strengths of federal government, state and local law enforcement agencies against criminal networks, the statement said.

The investigation leading up to the indictment was conducted by the DEA, FBI Cleveland Division, Homeland Security Investigations, Lorain Police Department, Elyria Police Department, Lorain County Drug Task Force, United States Department of Corrections, Parole Authority Ohio adults and the Lorain County Prosecutor’s Office.

Assistant U.S. Attorneys Robert F. Corts and Paul Hanna for the Northern District of Ohio will prosecute the case.