DAYTON, Ohio (WDTN) – Two brothers from Dayton and four others were arrested in North Carolina on Wednesday after federal officials say they allegedly participated in a narcotics conspiracy responsible for distributing bulk amounts of fentanyl and cocaine in Dayton.
Authorities seized narcotics, cash, and firearms from the drug trafficking organization on several occasions, including fentanyl, cocaine, cash, and firearms that were seized from the search warrant executed the night Dayton detective and DEA Task Force Officer Detective Jorge Del Rio was shot and killed on November 4.
The Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force investigation was later named “Operation Never Forget.”
“This indictment alleges the group of men charged were responsible for providing local dealers with thousands of doses of fentanyl and cocaine,” said U.S. Attorney David M. DeVillers. “The U.S. Attorney’s Office will not rest until we have traced every source of drug supply and held accountable every individual involved in this alleged conspiracy.”
According to the indictment, from 2014 through August 2020, members of the conspiracy acquired bulk amounts of cocaine and fentanyl from suppliers in Los Angeles and Houston. The co-conspirators are alleged to have transported the cocaine and fentanyl to Charlotte, North Carolina, where they processed and repackaged the cocaine and fentanyl for resale in southern Ohio and North Carolina.
Local distributors in southern Ohio allegedly purchased kilogram quantities of the cocaine and fentanyl for resale, and thousands of unit dosages of the drugs were distributed throughout southern Ohio.
The indictment further alleges that the members of the conspiracy collected hundreds of thousands of dollars in narcotics proceeds. The government is seeking to forfeit more than $686,000 in cash seized during the investigation.
The defendants were all charged with conspiracy to possess with the intent to distribute and to distribute cocaine and fentanyl. Those charged include:
- Roger Earl Walton, Jr., 41, of Concord, North Carolina (formerly of Dayton)
- Shawn Dwayne Walton, 46, of Charlotte, North Carolina (formerly of Dayton)
- Noah Alexander Sherrill, 33, of Charlotte, North Carolina (formerly of Dayton)
- Rauland Pollard III, 35, of Dayton
- Glynn Sewell, 39, of Charlotte, North Carolina (formerly of Dayton)
- Louis Walton, 22, of Charlotte, North Carolina
If convicted, the defendants face at least 10 years to life in prison.