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One pleads, another sentenced in federal drug cases
By Joe Gorman
YOUNGSTOWN
One man pleaded guilty in federal court and another man was sentenced Wednesday in separate heroin-distribution cases.
Jose Lebron, 46, entered a plea of guilty before Judge Solomon Oliver Jr. in U.S. Northern District Court of Ohio to one count of conspiracy with intent to distribute heroin.
In another case, Luis Brisino, no age available, was sentenced to almost seven years in federal prison on the same charge, also before Judge Oliver. Brisino was given a sentence of 83 months, with credit for time already served awaiting the disposition of his case.
Brisino was one of 12 people indicted in June 2012 for a ring that got its drugs from Chicago and distributed them in Youngstown, using houses on Brentwood and Glenwood avenues on the South Side as a primary base of operation.
According to an indictment in the case, Brisino was one of the people in Chicago who was giving the heroin to Youngstown residents to sell in the city. The ring operated from March 2009 to March 2012, according to the indictment.
The indictment lists telephone conservations that were recorded between Brisino and other members of the ring talking about heroin that people from Youngstown would travel to Chicago to pick up and bring back. At one point, some of the Youngstown connection complained about the bad quality of the heroin and also at one point it was said in the conversations that Brisino had fled to Mexico because of pressure from law enforcement. It is unclear from studying court records when and where Brisino was taken into custody.
During their investigation, authorities confiscated more than $150,000 as well as heroin and several guns.
Lebron pleaded guilty for his role in a drug ring that was bringing in heroin from New York City. He was indicted last November and accused of dealing heroin from homes in Campbell on Twelfth Street and Whipple Avenue.
Overall, nine people were indicted, culminating a 15-month investigation. Five of them were from Youngstown, two from Campbell and two from New York.
During the course of the investigation, authorities seized about 4 kilos of heroin, $200,000 in cash, nine vehicles, 26 firearms and more than 1,000 rounds of ammunition.
Sentencing for Lebron has been set for Jan. 15.