2 Akronites, 1 Canton man sentenced for involvement in drug-related conspiracies
Two Akron men and a Canton resident were sentenced this week in federal court for their roles in forging prescriptions and conspiring to sell illicit pills, according to a U.S. Department of Justice news release.
Akron resident Michael White, 43, pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute controlled substances and two counts of possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine.
Chief Judge Sara Lioi sentenced him to five and a half years in prison followed by 10 years probation.
Having pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to commit wire fraud and nine counts of aggravated identity theft, 35-year-old Durell Richerson of Akron will serve three years in prison and three years of supervised release.
Lioi sentenced 34-year-old Canton resident Dallas Delatte to two years and one month in prison followed by three years of supervised release, according to officials. Delatte pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to commit wire fraud and three counts of aggravated identity theft.
A fourth defendant, Amanda Bell, is scheduled to be sentenced on Sept. 12. Ball pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute controlled substances.
First of two alleged conspiracies
Two separate but related conspiracies are described in the indictment.
Richerson and Delatte pleaded guilty for their involvement in passing forged prescriptions for promethazine-codeine cough syrup at Akron-area pharmacies. This cough syrup is used as a recreational drug, officials said.
"Members of this conspiracy used a Google account to store forged prescription templates bearing the names, DEA numbers and NPI numbers of Akron-area physicians, without the physicians' permission or knowledge," the release says.
This information, according to law enforcement, constituted identity theft.
Edits were made to these templates before conspirators printed out forged prescriptions on security paper. They then attempted to pass the forgeries as real at local pharmacies.
Conspiracy to sell illicit pills
White and Ball pleaded guilty to using a pill press machine to manufacture pills; some contained methamphetamine but looked like ecstasy, according to the newss release.
Police executed a search warrant at residences in Canton and Akron in December 2020, finding roughly 89 pills containing methamphetamine, two digital scales and a blender with cocaine residue, officials explained.
Conspirators including White used this equipment at a home in Akron to distribute manufactured drugs.
The case was investigated by the DEA Cleveland’s Tactical Diversion Squad, with assistance from the Akron Police Department, the Ohio State Highway Patrol, the Canton Police Department and the Ohio Bureau of Criminal Investigations.
This article originally appeared on Akron Beacon Journal: Akron, Canton men sentenced to over 10 years in prison for drug crimes
