Feds seek to seize Austintown home allegedly used in cocaine pipeline
An 84 count indictment accusing twelve people of taking part in a scheme to bring cocaine from Texas to Ohio seeks property owned by the suspects including five vehicles and a home in Austintown.
1/3
YOUNGSTOWN, Ohio - An 84 count indictment accusing twelve people of taking part in a scheme to bring cocaine from Texas to Ohio seeks property owned by the suspects including five vehicles and a home in Austintown.
The indictment originally handed up last week charges each of the twelve with one count of conspiracy to distribute cocaine.
Five of the suspects are charged with possession with intent to distribute cocaine.
The indictment includes 81 counts of using a telephone to facilitate drug trafficking.
Those indicted include:Three of the suspects are from Austintown, one from Youngstown and three from Columbiana County.
- Jose G. Martinez, aka Lupe, 42, Austintown, Ohio
- Ricardo Bustillos-Ramos, 46, Austintown, Ohio
- Jonathan Rivera, 30, Dallas, Texas
- Lilia Comacho-Jimenez, 32, Austintown, Ohio
- Pedro Aboite-Espitia, 44, New Carlisle, Ohio
- Raymone T. West, 26, Springfield, Ohio
- Bruce Cuevas, Sr., 61, Youngstown, Ohio
- Felipe Hildago-Rivera, 30, Des Moines, Iowa
- Justin D. Trevor, 28, Wellsville, Ohio
- Joseph W. Warrick, 54, East Liverpool, Ohio
- John N. Clemens, 71, Kensington, Ohio
- Michael S. Patterson, aka Steve, 41, Springfield, Ohio
The indictment includes a forfeiture provision. If the suspects are convicted, the court could order the government to confiscate not only the money collected from the alleged scheme, but also five vehicles used by the suspects, a trailer and a home on Notre Dame Avenue in Austintown.
21 News first reported on the investigation in January when four of the suspects were arrested by the Drug Enforcement Agency after searching an Austintown home that they believe was a stop along the alleged drug trafficking route.
The DEA arrested 61-year-old Bruce Cuevas Sr., Lilia Comacho-Jimenez, and Jose Martinez in January after federal agents searched a home at 574 Notre Dame Drive in the College Park development in Austintown.
A fourth suspect, 44-year old Ricardo Bustillos-Ramos was also arrested at the time.
According to an affidavit, the investigation began in March of last year when agents began tapping cell phone conversations of an Irvine, California man.
Through the phone tap and surveillance, agents determined that cocaine was shipped from Texas and delivered in a duffel bag to the Notre Dame Drive home of Jose Martinez in April of last year
The affidavit says the bag was dropped off at the Notre Dame home by Ricardo Bustillos-Ramos, who lives on Pine Trace Drive, Austintown.
Two days later, agents say that Martinez got a phone call from a Mexican telephone number to let him know someone would be picking up the cocaine.
Agents say later that same day, Bruce Cuevas drove duffel bag from the Notre Dame Drive home, to his house on Osborne Avenue in Youngstown.
A Nissan driven by another man pulled into Cuevas' driveway.
Agents followed the Nissan when it left Cuevas' driveway Youngstown, until a State Trooper that pulled it over on Interstate 71 in Wayne County.
After bringing in a drug sniffing dog, authorities say they found more than 8,136 grams of cocaine stuffed into seven packages that had been taped inside the car's speaker box.
The indictment remained sealed until arrests could be made in the investigation.
