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Man charged in overdose death
By Joe Gorman
YOUNGSTOWN
Oh, what a tangled web Marquis Huffman tried to weave.
Already free on bail after being one of 37 people indicted in July for roles in a large heroin ring, he also was a suspect in supplying the heroin that led to a man’s overdose death earlier this year.
But when he was interviewed by investigators in that case, he purportedly gave a false name, date of birth and Social Security number – all belonging to his brother.
So when he was secretly indicted by a Mahoning County grand jury two weeks ago on charges of involuntary manslaughter, possession of heroin and trafficking in heroin, the indictment was issued for the wrong person.
Assistant Prosecutor Martin Desmond said investigators were thrown off because the fingerprints they took from Huffman – under the guise of his brother – matched the same data he gave investigators. This data also was used when he was arrested sometime in 2014 – again under his brother’s name – and booked into the county jail.
Desmond said family members told police they had the wrong man once they were shown a photograph of Marquis Huffman, and he eventually was tracked down and arrested by U.S. marshals Tuesday.
“It was the fingerprints that really threw us a curve ball in this whole thing,” Desmond said.
Desmond said authorities used booking photos of that 2014 arrest to help track Huffman down.
The 22-year-old Huffman who lists addresses on Willis Avenue and East Ravenwood Avenue is in the jail pending his arraignment Tuesday in common pleas court.
He is charged with supplying the drugs that caused the death of George R. Taylor, 56, who was found dead May 2 inside an apartment in the 500 block of West Indianola Avenue.
He also faces two counts of possession of heroin from his indictment in July, according to court records.
When asked why Huffman is being prosecuted for an overdose death but sometimes others are left unprosecuted, Desmond said the reason is because “we have sufficient evidence.” He would not disclose what that evidence was.
Reports said the day Taylor was found, officers were called to the apartment about 6:40 p.m. by a co-worker of his who was concerned because Taylor did not show up for work. A landlord let police inside the apartment.
Reports said Taylor was found dead on the floor of his kitchen holding a needle. Reports said the coworker told police she had met Taylor at counseling sessions and that she was afraid Taylor may have relapsed. They had plans to go out a few days before he was found, and he never returned any calls. The co-worker told police Taylor’s drug of choice was heroin, reports said.
A neighbor said she had heard a loud thump from Taylor’s apartment the day before he was found. Paramedics on the scene estimated he had been dead between 12 and 18 hours before he was found, reports said.
There are three people awaiting sentencing this fall for their role in supplying Xanax, marijuana and cocaine that led to the death of 18-year-old Erin Trell in September 2013 on the South Side. Prosecutors are recommending sentences of 41/2 years each for Ruben Best, 22, of Warren and Gary Hartman, 26, of Boardman and two years for Marijo Mazon, 48, of Boardman.