16 Charged in Trafficking Ring Allegedly Operating Out of a Mansfield Car Wash

CLEVELAND - Sixteen individuals have been charged for their alleged involvement in a drug trafficking ring operating out of a car wash in Mansfield, Ohio. The charges are the result of a three-year-long investigation by federal and local officials.

According to the superseding indictment filed July 8, the defendants are alleged to be responsible for trafficking large quantities of controlled substances in Richland County and the surrounding areas. Oxycodone was obtained from suppliers in Detroit, Cleveland, and Toledo which they redistributed in Mansfield. The drugs, and drug proceeds, were then stored at the New Millinium Car Wash and at a residence on Johns Avenue, both in Mansfield.

Throughout the investigation, agents seized approximately 895 grams of cocaine, 127 oxycodone pills, and 50 grams of cocaine base (crack), as well as 1.5 kilograms of methamphetamine, 1,980 pressed fentanyl tablets, and 120 grams of powdered fentanyl. Agents also seized cash proceeds totaling more than $61,832 and numerous illegally possessed firearms during the investigation.

Individuals were apprehended in a series of coordinated arrests. One defendant, Carl Henderson, 56, of Los Angeles, California, remains at large.

A federal grand jury returned an 18-count indictment charging the following individuals with Conspiracy to Distribute and Possess with Intent to Distribute Cocaine, Cocaine Base (Crack), and Oxycodone:

• Calvin Caldwell, aka Petey, 67, of Mansfield, Ohio
• Carl Henderson, 56, of Los Angeles, California
• Damell Owens, 48, of Cleveland, Ohio
• Leon Moses, aka Lee, 47, of Toledo, Ohio
• Phillip Douglas Jr., 44, of Fraser, Michigan
• Robert Wade, aka Hollywood, 53, of Mansfield, Ohio
• Nashone Howard, aka Black, 53, of Mansfield, Ohio
• Edward Brooks, 67, of Ontario, Ohio
• Joann Robertson, 73, of Mansfield, Ohio
• Effie James, 69, of Mansfield, Ohio
• Jaynell Thornton, 67, of Mansfield, Ohio
• Timothy Moyer, 67, of Mansfield, Ohio
• Paul Baumer, 59, of Mansfield, Ohio
• Dreama Henderson, 42, of Mansfield, Ohio
• David George, 55, of Mansfield, Ohio,
• Toni Crawford, 66, of Mansfield, OH

Caldwell was additionally charged with:

• Distribution of Oxycodone
• Possession with Intent to Distribute Oxycodone
• Possession with Intent to Distribute Cocaine
• Felon in Possession of Ammunition; prior convictions include Aggravated Trafficking in 1995, Possession of Drugs in 2004, Distribution of Cocaine Base in 2008, and Trafficking in Cocaine in 2014
• Possession of a Firearm in Furtherance of a Drug Trafficking Crime
• Distribution of Cocaine Base (Crack)
• Distribution of Oxycodone
• Maintenance of Drug Premises

Owens was additionally charged with:

• Possession with Intent to Distribute Fentanyl, Methamphetamine, and Cocaine
• Felon in Possession of a Firearm and Ammunition; prior convictions include Felonious Assault in 2004, and Conspiracy to Possess with Intent to Distribute and Distribution of Cocaine and Cocaine Base in 2013
• Possession of a Firearm in Furtherance of a Drug Trafficking Crime

Howard was additionally charged with Felon in Possession of a Firearm; prior convictions include Aggravated Battery/Great Bodily Harm in 1991; Possession of Controlled Substances and Manufacture/Deliver Controlled Substances in 1994.

The announcement was made by United States Attorney David Toepfer for the Northern District of Ohio, Special Agent in Charge Joshua Del Manzo of the FBI Cleveland Division, and Mansfield Police Chief Jason Bammann.

This case was investigated by the FBI Mansfield Resident Agency and the Metro-Richland County (METRICH) enforcement unit with assistance from the Mansfield Police Department, Richland County Sheriff Department, and the Marion County Drug Task Force (MARMET). The U.S. Marshals Service and Wyandot County Sheriff Office assisted with the arrests. The Richland County Prosecutors office provided valuable legal support throughout the investigation.

The prosecution is being led by Assistant United States Attorney Vasile Katsaros for the Northern District of Ohio.

An indictment is only a charge and is not evidence of guilt. Each defendant is entitled to a fair trial in which it is the government's burden to prove guilt beyond a reasonable doubt.