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Authorities say Manuel Garza and his friends earned nearly $5 million a month shipping tons of marijuana to central Ohio.
Federal authorities plugged a nationwide pipeline Thursday and charged Garza, of Merritt Island, Fla., and 21 associates in a 95-count indictment involving conspiracy and money laundering.
Thirteen denied the allegations in federal court Thursday. As many as 60 others were charged in Richland and nearby counties.
Investigators dubbed the case "Operation Snowdozer," and said truckloads, many containing furniture stuffed with cocaine and marijuana, were delivered to Ohio for at least three years. Other members of the ring hauled drugs while riding buses from Texas to Ohio.
The FBI estimated the group's ringleaders made $4.8 million hauling about 2 tons of marijuana a month to Ohio at the height of its dealings in 2003. He said members also grossed about $500,000 a month shipping cocaine.
"They were sophisticated, but we were more sophisticated," said FBI agent Robert Hawk. The agency worked on the case with METRICH, a drug-enforcement unit based in Mansfield.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Blas Serrano said in documents that Garza obtained marijuana and cocaine from Gilberto Ramirez and Jesus Ornelas, both of Texas, and he ordered the shipments to Ohio, where he had connections with dealers.
Authorities also said Corey Eckels, a 22-year-old Ashland man, had more than 3,500 pounds of marijuana on him in Long Beach, Calif., in February 2002, at the direction of Garza.
The indictment says some members referred to the drugs as "tiles," "basketballs" and even "dog food" to avoid tipping off law enforcement.
In one call recorded by officers and agents, Arlie Thompson of Mansfield told a friend to tell customers that he "sells dog food. And . . . they called him to say that they needed a bag of dog food or half a bag."
Source: Plain Dealer
Author: John Caniglia
Published: June 11, 2004
Copyright: cleveland.com
Contact: jcaniglia@plaind.com
Website: https://www.cleveland.com/news/plaindealer/index.ssf?/base/news/1086946624233931.xml
Federal authorities plugged a nationwide pipeline Thursday and charged Garza, of Merritt Island, Fla., and 21 associates in a 95-count indictment involving conspiracy and money laundering.
Thirteen denied the allegations in federal court Thursday. As many as 60 others were charged in Richland and nearby counties.
Investigators dubbed the case "Operation Snowdozer," and said truckloads, many containing furniture stuffed with cocaine and marijuana, were delivered to Ohio for at least three years. Other members of the ring hauled drugs while riding buses from Texas to Ohio.
The FBI estimated the group's ringleaders made $4.8 million hauling about 2 tons of marijuana a month to Ohio at the height of its dealings in 2003. He said members also grossed about $500,000 a month shipping cocaine.
"They were sophisticated, but we were more sophisticated," said FBI agent Robert Hawk. The agency worked on the case with METRICH, a drug-enforcement unit based in Mansfield.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Blas Serrano said in documents that Garza obtained marijuana and cocaine from Gilberto Ramirez and Jesus Ornelas, both of Texas, and he ordered the shipments to Ohio, where he had connections with dealers.
Authorities also said Corey Eckels, a 22-year-old Ashland man, had more than 3,500 pounds of marijuana on him in Long Beach, Calif., in February 2002, at the direction of Garza.
The indictment says some members referred to the drugs as "tiles," "basketballs" and even "dog food" to avoid tipping off law enforcement.
In one call recorded by officers and agents, Arlie Thompson of Mansfield told a friend to tell customers that he "sells dog food. And . . . they called him to say that they needed a bag of dog food or half a bag."
Source: Plain Dealer
Author: John Caniglia
Published: June 11, 2004
Copyright: cleveland.com
Contact: jcaniglia@plaind.com
Website: https://www.cleveland.com/news/plaindealer/index.ssf?/base/news/1086946624233931.xml
