WARREN, Ohio - Newly unsealed federal documents reveal how agents uncovered an estimated $1.5 million worth of cocaine destined for Warren that originated in Compton, California, and made a stop in Columbiana along the way.

An affidavit was filed in U.S. District court as part of a criminal complaint charging Larone Williams, Dockery Cleveland, and Menford McCain with conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute narcotics.

The three were arrested on Tuesday in Warren by members of the Warren Police Department Street Crimes Unit and agents from the Drug Enforcement Agency.

The affidavit drawn up by a DEA agent says he was tipped off by a confidential source on Monday that narcotics hidden in a 2002 Volkswagen was on board a commercial car carrier on its way to Warren from Compton, California.

The agent pointed out that the confidential source’s suspicions were raised because it is unusual for someone to incur the cost of shipping an older motor vehicle across the country. 

He also points out in the affidavit that the confidential source, “knows Compton, California as a bad area.”

The confidential source got into the Volkswagen and provided the DEA with photos of packages concealed in the door panel.

The DEA enlisted the help of a narcotic detection canine to sniff around the commercial vehicle transport truck which had stopped in Columbiana.

According to the affidavit, after the dog indicated that drugs were inside the Volkswagen, agents obtained a warrant to search the car where they found ten kilogram-sized packages and two smaller packages of material that tested positive for cocaine.

Agents replaced all but the smallest package of cocaine with “fake” kilogram parcels that had been treated with a florescent power which is only visible under black light.

In addition, agents hid a GPS tracking device in the VW.

The car transport carrier then took the car to the parking lot of Pat Catan’s at Route 422 and Ridge Avenue in Warren as originally intended.

The car was kept under surveillance by DEA aircraft, as well as DEA agents and Warren Police on the ground.

On Monday evening agents say Larone Williams and Dockery Cleveland arrived at the parking lot where they spoke to the transport driver who later unloaded the VW from the truck.

The Volkswagen was then driven to a detached garage at 2773 Burton Street SE.

While police and agents maintained surveillance on the men and the home, the DEA obtained a search warrant.

On Tuesday, approximately 19 hours after the VW had arrived at the Burton Street address, agents say Menford McCain entered the garage wearing a backpack, and remained there four about ten minutes.

McCain then went into the house for about twenty minutes before coming out, hopping on a bicycle and began riding away.

Noticing that the backpack appeared to be heavy and full, agents notified Warren Police who spotted the bike at Arbor and Milton Streets.

When officers tried to stop McCain at Arbor and Beck Streets, he began to run.

Police say McCain dropped the backpack while attempting to scale a high fence.

Officers found McCain hiding in a pickup truck on the 1300 block of Central Parkway.

Agents say they found a large amount of cash in the backpack.

Investigators then entered the Burton Street home at around 2:30 p.m. Tuesday to execute the search warrant, where they found Williams and Cleveland inside.

DEA agents found a plastic bag filled with the bogus kilos. Some of the packages appeared to have been opened.

According to the affidavit, Williams said to one of the agents, “Them are fake.”

The search of the home also turned up electronic scales, a 9mm handgun, surgical masks, cellular telephones and other items that agents say indicated the distribution of drugs.

The DEA examined the hands of Williams and Cleveland with a black light and could see the florescent powder that had been dusted on the bags containing the fake cocaine.

 The ten kilos (22 pounds) of cocaine originally confiscated from the car has an estimated street value of $1.5 million according to Warren Police.

The three suspects were brought before a magistrate Thursday for an initial appearance.  A detention hearing is scheduled for the three next Thursday. The suspects remain in the custody of U.S. Marshals.