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City man sentenced in drug case

Gets 12 years for being ‘leader’ in trafficking ring

One of the nine people charged last summer in a 59-count indictment concerning a drug-trafficking operation in the Youngstown area was sentenced to 12 years in prison Friday in U.S. Northern Ohio District Court.

Korey K. Moody, 36, of Youngstown, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Donald C. Nugent after Moody pleaded guilty in November to one charge of conspiracy with intent to possess and distribute cocaine, crack cocaine, methamphetamine, heroin and fentanyl. He was accused of being the ringleader in the drug-trafficking conspiracy.

According to court documents, from July 2019 to December 2019, Moody supplied heroin, fentanyl, fentanyl analogues, cocaine and methamphetamine to other members of the conspiracy for distribution in the areas around Youngstown. Court documents state that Moody received his drug supply from individuals in Michigan and, in turn, provided the drugs to other members of the conspiracy for redistribution.

Court documents go on to state that members of the conspiracy used cellphones and code words such as “man,” “girl,” “boy,” “hardware,” “onion” and others to facilitate their drug trafficking activities.

Prior to this conviction, Moody was previously convicted of possession with intent to distribute crack cocaine in the United States District Court for the Northern District of Ohio.

As part of the plea agreement for this case, Moody has agreed to forfeit a 2014 Jaguar F Type Convertible, a 2016 Dodge Durango, a diamond bracelet, a Rolex watch and a yellow gold chain purchased with drug-trafficking proceeds.

This case was investigated by the FBI, U.S. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and Mahoning Valley Law Enforcement Task Force. This case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Yasmine Makridis.

Also named in the indictment are Cedrick Sanders, 42; Matthew J. Spain, 28; Michael N. Childs Jr., 35; Dewayne A. McCullough, 35; Lamar E. Knox, 31; George V. Barnette, 37; and Ghalayah L. LaBooth, 42, all with Youngstown addresses; and Lawrence K. McBride, 50, of Salem.

Childs is expected to change his plea on a drug conspiracy charge at a hearing set Monday before Nugent, while McCullough, LaBooth and McBride are headed for March 22 final pretrial hearings. McCullough, LaBooth and McBride appeared via video in mid-January before Nugent. The three are charged with one count of conspiracy with intent to distribute cocaine, cocaine base, heroin, fentanyl, fentanyl-compounds and methamphetamine. Their attorneys told the judge they have been having problems talking to their clients in jail because of COVID-19 conditions there.

The other four have either pleaded guilty or have been sentenced in the case:

• Sanders pleaded guilty Nov. 19 to one count of conspiracy with intent to distribute cocaine, cocaine base, heroin, fentanyl, fentanyl compounds and methamphetamine and one count of distributing heroin and fentanyl. Sentencing for Sanders is set before Nugent on March 14.

• Court records also show Spain, of Ridge Avenue, pleaded guilty Nov. 2 to the conspiracy count and also to a charge of distribution of heroin and fentanyl. He is scheduled to be sentenced Tuesday.

• Knox, also known as “Mar Mar,” appeared Dec. 10 before Nugent and pleaded guilty to the one drug conspiracy charge. He is scheduled to be sentenced March 31 after undergoing a background investigation.

• Barnette was sentenced Dec. 1 by Nugent to five months in a federal prison. He also was ordered to be on a supervised release for three years. Records show Barnette pleaded guilty Sept. 9 to a drug conspiracy count with five counts of use of a communication facility in drug trafficking dismissed.

All defendants remain in federal custody, court records show.

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