DOJ Seal

Department of Justice

U.S. Attorney's Office
Southern District of Ohio

For Immediate Release

Wednesday, August 26, 2020

Six Arrested, Charged in Multi-state Narcotics Conspiracy Responsible for Supplying Fentanyl & Cocaine to Dayton

Investigation Involves Search Warrant that Resulted in Murder of DEA Task Force Officer

DAYTON – Two brothers originally from Dayton and four others were arrested in North Carolina today for their alleged participation in a narcotics conspiracy responsible for distributing bulk amounts of fentanyl and cocaine to Dayton.

Law enforcement authorities have seized narcotics, cash, and firearms from the drug trafficking organization on multiple occasions – including fentanyl, cocaine, cash and firearms seized from a search warrant executed at 1454 Ruskin Road on Nov. 4, 2019. It was during the execution of this search warrant that Dayton Detective and DEA Task Force Officer Detective Jorge Del Rio was shot and killed. The Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force investigation was later named “Operation Never Forget.”

“This indictment alleges the group of men charged were responsible for providing local dealers with thousands of doses of fentanyl and cocaine,” said U.S. Attorney David M. DeVillers. “The U.S. Attorney’s Office will not rest until we have traced every source of drug supply and held accountable every individual involved in this alleged conspiracy.”

According to the indictment, from 2014 through August 2020, members of the conspiracy acquired bulk amounts of cocaine and fentanyl from suppliers in Los Angeles and Houston. The co-conspirators transported the cocaine and fentanyl to Charlotte, N.C., where they processed and repackaged the cocaine and fentanyl for resale in southern Ohio and North Carolina.

Local distributors in southern Ohio allegedly purchased kilogram quantities of the cocaine and fentanyl for resale, and thousands of unit dosages of the drugs were distributed throughout southern Ohio.

The indictment further alleges that the members of the conspiracy collected hundreds of thousands of dollars in narcotics proceeds. The Government seeks to forfeit more than $686,000 in cash seized during the investigation.

The defendants are all charged with conspiracy to possess with the intent to distribute and to distribute cocaine and fentanyl. Those charged include:

Name Also Known As Age City of Residence
Roger Earl Walton Jr. Mike 41 Concord, NC (formerly of Dayton)
Shawn Dwayne Walton Swoop 46 Charlotte, NC (formerly of Dayton)
Noah Alexander Sherrill 704 Noah 33 Charlotte, NC (formerly of Dayton)
Rauland Pollard III Saki, Sockey 35 Dayton
Glynn Sewell Frezzy 39 Charlotte, NC (formerly of Dayton)
Louis Walton   22 Charlotte, NC

If convicted, the defendants face at least 10 years and up to life in prison.

David M. DeVillers, United States Attorney for the Southern District of Ohio; Keith Martin, Special Agent in Charge, Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA); Chris Hoffman, Special Agent in Charge, Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), Cincinnati Division; Roland Herndon, Special Agent in Charge, Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF); and Dayton Police Chief Richard S. Biehl announced the charges.

The case is the result of the cooperative efforts of the DEA, led by the Dayton Resident Office and including DEA offices in Charlotte, N.C., Greensboro, N.C., Beaumont, Texas, Cincinnati, Detroit, Houston, Atlanta, Annandale, Va., and the Special Operations Division; as well as FBI and ATF. These federal agencies worked closely with the Dayton, Charlotte-Mecklenburg and Beaumont police departments, and the Central Oklahoma Metro Interdiction Team (COMIT).

Assistant United States Attorneys Elizabeth R. Rabe and Amy M. Smith are representing the United States in this case.

An indictment merely contains allegations, and defendants are presumed innocent unless proven guilty in a court of law.

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Columbus Field Division