CLEVELAND – Cuyahoga County Prosecutor Michael C. O’Malley announced that a Cuyahoga County grand jury has returned an indictment charging 37 individuals for their involvement in the drug trafficking organization linked to three overdose deaths. The investigation led to over six kilograms of drugs seized, over $240,000 in cash seized, and 15 firearms seized, some of which were reported stolen.

“This indictment reflects the strong collaboration between the Cuyahoga County Prosecutor’s Office and our law enforcement partners. By dismantling this organization, we are removing dangerous individuals, lethal narcotics, and stolen firearms from our community. These arrests will save lives throughout northeast Ohio.”

– Prosecutor Michael C. O’Malley

“The harm caused by this criminal organization is real and has devastated our community, but today marks an important step forward.  Now is the time for justice for these victims and their families – justice that is long overdue, and justice that our community deserves. The complexity of this case speaks volumes about the extraordinary quality of the investigatory work behind it and just how skilled our detectives truly are.  Their efforts brought this sprawling operation to light and ensured that those responsible are now facing their day in court.  This is indictment is a great reminder of what happens when we partner with other local, regional, state, and federal agencies – all of which we’ll continue doing.”

– Mayor Justin M. Bibb

“I commend the outstanding work of the investigators involved in this case. Each day, the men and women of our Division work alongside our law enforcement partners to make our city safer. Investigations of this complexity and duration require persistence, expertise, and relentless dedication. The damage inflicted by these individuals cannot be overstated. What is clear, however, is that a substantial quantity of drugs, firearms, and dozens of dangerous, crime-driven individuals  will be removed from our streets.”

– Cleveland Division of Police Chief Dorothy Todd

“These indictments send a clear message that those who supply illicit narcotics within the communities of Northeast Ohio will be brought to justice, alongside those who aid and abet them. We commend the efforts of the investigators from the Cleveland Division of Police Narcotics Unit who worked tirelessly, hand-in-hand with Federal partners, to identify the members of this complex drug trafficking organization. The streets of Northeast Ohio are safer today due to the dismantlement of this drug trafficking organization.“

– Ohio High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area Acting Executive Director Eric Brown

On August 16, 2024, John Lee, 56, was found deceased in a residence from a suspected overdose near East 71st Street and Indiana Avenue in Cleveland. The Cleveland Division of Police (CDP)’s Narcotics Unit began investigating and learned the supplied narcotics were linked to the drug trafficking organization. On September 17, 2024, Angela Staehr, 41, was found deceased in a residence from a suspected overdose near Sackett Avenue and Rhodes Court in Cleveland. The CDP Narcotics Unit began investigating and linked the supplied narcotics to the same drug trafficking organization, that supplied the narcotics to John Lee.

The investigation was conducted by the CDP Narcotics Unit with assistance from the Euclid Police Department, the Ohio High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area, and the U.S. Marshals. The investigation identified 37 individuals involved in the drug trafficking organization’s supply chain. The organization was utilizing multiple locations to store, manufacture, and distribute the narcotics. Over the course of the investigation, search warrants were conducted in 12 locations that resulted in the seizure of over six kilograms of fentanyl, xylazine, cocaine, and methamphetamine. In addition, over $240,000 in cash was seized, as well as 15 firearms, several of which were reported stolen.

The investigation also linked a third previously unsolved overdose that occurred in 2022, the overdose death of 26-year-old Amanda Garrison in Cleveland.

On November 25, 2025, the 37 individuals were indicted on a total of 180 charges, including:

  • Engaging in a Pattern of Corrupt Activity
  • Involuntary Manslaughter
  • Aggravated Drug Funding
  • Drug Trafficking
  • Drug Possession
  • Illegal Manufacturing
  • Having Weapons Under Disability

On December 10, 2025, an arrest operation was held by the U.S. Marshals Service and CDP. 23 of the 37 individuals were arrested without incident.

They will be arraigned at the Cuyahoga County Justice Center at a later date.