Man arrested and sentenced to life in prison after found guilty of drug trafficking.
Without license, it is considered illegal to manufacture, possess, or sell heroin. An opioid analgesic, found naturally in the opium poppy with frequent and regular administration associated with tolerance and physical dependence. A Cleveland man has been the into multi-year investigation, known for trafficking of heroin from Chicago and Atlanta to Cleveland.
The leader of a large heroin-trafficking ring Cleveland’s East Side identified as Keith Ricks, 33 year-old. He was sentenced to life in federal prison, Monday, after found guilty. Authorities conducted a bust with the use of wiretaps and undercover buys which trapped Ricks. However he denied allegations, saying; “I’m a good person. Everybody knows me. Everybody loves me.”
Assistant United States Attorney Matthew W Shepherd wrote in the sentencing memo: “Ricks was the leader of a large and wide-ranging heroin conspiracy that involved dozens of people and distributed heroin to large parts of Cleveland. In addition to distributing heroin, members of the conspiracy committed robberies, thefts and burglaries to obtain heroin or funds to obtain heroin in support of the conspiracy.”
In the United States, heroin is a Schedule I drug according to the Controlled Substances Act of 1970 and is illegal to possess without a DEA license. Possession of more than 100 grams or a mixture containing such drug is punishable with a minimum mandatory sentence of 5 years of imprisonment in a federal prison. Keith Ricks was among 60 people indicted in federal court, 2013 for drug conspiracy.
According to court documents and trial testimony, “The Northern Ohio Law Enforcement Task Force works tirelessly to rid the streets of the most dangerous criminals and Keith Ricks definitely is one of them. Ricks and others obtained heroin from suppliers in Atlanta and transported the drugs to Cleveland by mail or car. He then distributed the heroin to other traffickers in Cleveland.
Leader of heroin trafficking group that brought large shipments from Atlanta and Chicago and sold them around Cleveland’s east side was sentenced to life in prison. “This defendant led a group responsible for thefts, violence and the distribution of dozens of pounds of heroin. He is a predator that needed to be taken out of the community,” said Steven M. Dettelbach, U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of Ohio.
United States and most other countries eventually banned heroin, listed under the U.S. Controlled Substances Act as a Schedule I narcotic. According to Drug Enforcement Agency, considered to have no medical benefit and a high potential for abuse. IMAGE/ Evdokimov Maxim
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