Mass Producer of Fentanyl Pills Sentenced to More Than 17 Years in Prison

CLEVELAND - A Cuyahoga County man has been sentenced to prison for his role in a large-scale drug trafficking operation that mass produced thousands of illegal pills which were then distributed throughout Ohio.

Thomas Taylor, 43, of Cleveland, was sentenced to 210 months (17.5 years) in prison by U.S. District Judge Donald C. Nugent after pleading guilty in July to the following charges as outlined in the second superseding indictment:

• Conspiracy to Distribute and to Possess with Intent to Distribute a Controlled Substance.
• Distribution of a Controlled Substance.
• Possession with Intent to Distribute a Controlled Substance.
• Maintaining Drug Premises.
• Felon in Possession of Firearms and Ammunition; prior convictions include Felon in Possession of a Firearm in 2019; and Drug Trafficking in 2013 and 2007.

Taylor was also ordered to serve 10 years of supervised release after imprisonment and pay $10,000 in fines. Judge Nugent imposed the sentence Dec. 3.

According to court documents and evidence presented in court, Taylor led a major drug trafficking operation in northern Ohio. He recruited numerous individuals to help run his manufacturing operation to make fentanyl pills using ingredients he sourced from contacts in Mexico. Taylor maintained pill pressing equipment at several residences throughout the Greater Cleveland area that could make hundreds of thousands of fentanyl pills each day. During the investigation agents seized several firearms and ammunition, large sums of cash, and drug paraphernalia such as scales and plastic bags. In total, more than 3 kilograms of fentanyl, 2 kilograms of methamphetamine, and ½ kilogram of cocaine was also seized.

Co-defendant Noreece Young, 53, also of Cleveland, previously pleaded guilty to his role in the conspiracy and is currently serving a 180-month (15 year) prison sentence.

This case was investigated by the FBI Cleveland Division and the Southeast Area Law Enforcement Narcotics Task Force.

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