CLEVELAND – Vincent Richardson Jr., 30, of Warren, Ohio, was sentenced on Wednesday, September 14, 2022, to more than 24 years in prison and ordered to pay a $4,000 special assessment by U.S. District Judge Christopher A. Boyko after he pleaded guilty in May 2022 to 40 counts of charges related to his role in leading a drug trafficking conspiracy.
According to court documents, from March 2019 to February 2020, Richardson operated a drug trafficking organization in the Youngstown-Warren areas and supplied drugs, including cocaine, cocaine base (crack), heroin, fentanyl and fentanyl analogues, to other members of the organization to be further distributed throughout the region.
As part of an investigation into Richardson and the drug trafficking organization, authorities conducted multiple controlled purchases of narcotics from members of the organization, including Richardson. In some instances, Richardson would direct another individual to deliver drugs to the buyer.
Investigators later executed multiple search warrants related to the investigation, including three that focused on Richardson’s residence. During the execution of these warrants, investigators obtained drug trafficking paraphernalia, a firearm, over $4,000 cash, a drug press and multiple quantities of drugs, including heroin, fentanyl, cocaine, cocaine base (crack) and fentanyl analogues.
The investigation preceding the indictments was conducted by the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), FBI, Mahoning Valley Violent Crimes Task Force, Trumbull Action Group, Trumbull County Sheriff’s Office and the Warren Police Department.
This case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys David Toepfer and Damoun Delaviz.