AKRON – First Assistant U.S. Attorney Michelle M. Baeppler announced that eight individuals were charged today in an 18-count superseding indictment with operating a drug trafficking conspiracy that distributed methamphetamine throughout the city of Akron, Portage County and Trumbull County areas.
Named in the superseding indictment are Dolan Mitchell Ady, 50, of Kinsman, Ohio; Christen Tate Oakman, 27, of Akron, Ohio; Shaquille Michael Haskell, 31, of Akron, Ohio; Markus Eugene Shaw, 37, of Warren, Ohio; Jennifer Derosa, 34, of Warren, Ohio; Robert Russell Boring, 32, of Akron, Ohio; Joshua M. White, 35, of Warren, Ohio and Travis Spithaler, 35, of Warren, Ohio.
Each defendant is charged with conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute methamphetamine. In addition, the indictment charges various members of the drug trafficking organization with distribution of methamphetamine, distribution of Lysergic Acid Diethylamide (LSD), possession with the intent to distribute methamphetamine, felon in possession of a firearm, felon in possession of ammunition and possession of a firearm by a person with a prior misdemeanor domestic violence conviction.
According to the indictment, it is alleged that from October 2021 to April 2022, the named members of the drug trafficking organization conspired together to purchase methamphetamine and redistribute it throughout the city of Akron, Portage County and Trumbull County areas. The indictment alleges that members of the organization maintained residences in the city of Akron to store and sell methamphetamine and conducted counter-surveillance while engaging in drug trafficking activity in order to identify the potential presence of law enforcement. Additionally, the indictment alleges members of the organization utilized motels and a residence within Trumbull County to store and sell methamphetamine.
An indictment is only a charge and is not evidence of guilt. The defendants are entitled to a fair trial in which it will be the government’s burden to prove guilt beyond a reasonable doubt.
If convicted, each defendant’s sentence will be determined by the court after a review of factors unique to this case, including the defendant’s prior criminal record, if any, the defendant’s role in the offenses and the characteristics of the violation. In all cases, the sentence will not exceed the statutory maximum; in most cases, it will be less than the maximum.
The investigation preceding the indictment was conducted by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), Portage County Sheriff’s Office Drug and Violent Crime Unit (PCSODVCU), Portage County Sheriff’s Office (PCSO), Akron Police Department Gun Violence Reduction Tactical Unit (APD GVRTU), Akron Police Department (APD), Ohio State Highway Patrol (OSP), Niles Police Department (NPD) and Warren Police Department (WPD).
This case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Jason M. Katz.