CLEVELAND - After a multi-year federal investigation, a 38-year-old man has been sentenced to prison for his role as the leader of a drug trafficking organization (DTO) that distributed deadly controlled substances throughout Northeast Ohio.

Jerone Tate, 38, of Westlake, Ohio, was sentenced to 292 months in prison by U.S. District Judge John R. Adams after pleading guilty in July of 2025 to the following offenses:

• Conspiracy to Distribute and Possession with Intent to Distribute Controlled Substances (fentanyl and cocaine)
• Distribution of a Controlled Substance (cocaine)
• Possession with Intent to Distribute a Controlled Substance (fentanyl)
• Possession with Intent to Distribute a Controlled Substance (cocaine)

Tate was also ordered to serve five years of supervised release after imprisonment.

According to court documents, in 2021, federal agents began an investigation into a large-scale drug trafficking organization suspected of being led by Tate. During the investigation, it was discovered that Tate was responsible for organizing and distributing large quantities of cocaine and fentanyl throughout Northeast Ohio. Agents executed multiple search warrants related to the DTO and raided a residence in Cleveland, Tate's personal residence in Avon Lake, and a restaurant he owned in Richmond Heights.

Throughout the investigation agents seized:

• Approximately 1,902 grams of cocaine
• Approximately 494.2 grams of fentanyl
• Approximately 112.53 grams of fentanyl analogue
• Approximately 19 kilograms of marijuana
• Approximately $63,111 in cash
• A drug press, cellphones, drug ledgers, and other drug paraphernalia.

Co-conspirator Terrill Colbert, 40, of Cleveland, previously pleaded guilty to his role in the DTO and is currently serving a 10-year prison sentence.

This investigation was conducted by the Drug Enforcement Administration and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives.

This case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Payum Doroodian for the Northern District of Ohio.