7 area men face drug charges

The distribution took place over a 12-year period, the indictment says.
CLEVELAND -- Seven local residents are among 10 men charged in a federal indictment with distributing cocaine in the Youngstown and Sharon, Pa., areas.
The indictment, unsealed Friday by Gregory A. White, U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of Ohio, also lists a New York City man as the major source for cocaine distributors in the Youngstown and Sharon areas.
The indictment charged the defendants with one count each of conspiracy to distribute and possess with the intent to distribute cocaine.
The indictment alleges that from at least January 1993 to November 2005, the defendants conspired to distribute cocaine in the local areas.
It further says that Juan Francisco Melo, also known as "Lenny," of New York was the main source of cocaine which was distributed in Youngstown by Booker T. Wellington Jr., and in Sharon by Thomas A. Pierce Jr.
Local defendants
The Youngstown defendants and their last known addresses are Wellington, 50, of 3126 Idlewood Ave.; Marvin L. McWilson, 56, of 452 W. Hylda Ave.; Cleveland G. Hightower Jr., 63, of 2524 Volney Road; Joseph N. Flaviano Sr., 45, of 2208 Volney Road; Ralph R. Stoddard, 50, of 339 W. Judson Ave.; and Gerald R. Baker, 46, of 2050 Steward Ave.
The other defendants and their last known addresses are Thomas A. Pierce Jr., 33, of 400 Alderman Ave., Sharon; Thomas A. Pierce Sr., 56, of 2103 Wynn Road, University Heights, Ohio; Melo, 38, of 625 W. 164th St., New York City; and Dorian W. Christian, also known as "Pee Wee," 29, of 1921 Grant Blvd., Euclid, Ohio.
The indictment further says that Pierce Sr. was an alternate source of cocaine for Pierce Jr., and that McWilson, Flaviano, Stoddard and Baker received quantities of cocaine from Wellington for distribution in the Youngstown area. It also alleges that Christian distributed cocaine for McWilson.
Further, the indictment charges McWilson with four counts, Baker with one count, and Stoddard and Christian with three counts each of distributing cocaine.
The indictments follow an investigation by the Federal Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force and a combined task force, which included members of police departments from Youngstown, Struthers, Hubbard, Canfield, Poland Village, Youngstown State University, Austintown, Poland, Beaver, Milton, Goshen and Jackson townships, along with the Ohio Adult Parole Authority, the Mahoning County Sheriff's Department and the FBI.
The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Atty. Robert E. Bulford.