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Last two sentenced in heroin ring case
By Joe Gorman
YOUNGSTOWN
The last two defendants of 35 who have pleaded guilty for their roles in distributing heroin on the East Side were sentenced Wednesday in Mahoning County Common Pleas Court.
Judge Shirley J. Christian sentenced Shenika Rushton, 33, to three years in prison after guilty pleas to charges of money laundering, trafficking in heroin and engaging in a pattern of corrupt activity.
In a separate hearing Trevon Howell, 25, was sentenced to six years in prison on charges of engaging in a pattern of corrupt activity and trafficking in heroin. Both sentences were agreed upon between prosecutors and defense attorneys.
Both Rushton and Howell asked the judge if they could have their sentences stayed and be given a date to report to the county jail because they had to make arrangements to have someone watch their children. Rushton was granted until July 5 but she was asking for more time; the judge denied Howell’s request.
When Rushton’s husband, Terrence Rushton, 33, was sentenced May 6 to seven and a half years in prison, he also asked to have his hearing postponed so he could spend more time with his children. The judge denied that request also. Shenika Rushton presently has two children and gave birth to a third while she was awaiting the disposition of her case.
Assistant Attorney General Margaret Tomaro, who helped county prosecutors investigate and prosecute the case, said Shenika Rushton helped her husband, who prosecutors said was one of the leaders of the ring, convert drug money into cash or for funds to buy property by depositing it in banks. Tomaro said Howell was giving money to Rushton and another leader already sentenced, Michael Cain, to buy heroin in bulk purchases so that it could be given to others to sell on the streets – and that Howell began supplying drugs he was able to obtain for others to sell before he was arrested.
Shenika Rushton apologized and said what she did was a mistake.
“I’m not a bad person at all,” she said. “It’s just hard for me because I’ve never been in jail. I’ve never been a criminal. I mean, I know I did wrong, but I’m not a criminal.”
Howell said nothing other than to ask for the extra time to be with his child. He said the child just returned from Florida and he needs to help his mother to make sure she can get her home up to standards so she can be granted custody by the county Children Services Board.
Rushton said she needed the extra time because her brother from Chicago is the only person who can watch the children, and he cannot come to Youngstown to pick them up until late July.
Judge Christian said she was not happy because Rushton had plenty of time to make arrangements for the children, and her relatives have had more than enough time to get them. She did give her till July 5 to report to the jail or she will have her sentence doubled and also be charged with felony escape.
As for Howell, Judge Christian said she had no idea there was a child involved until his lawyer filed a last-minute motion asking to have the hearing continued, which she denied. Judge Christian said Howell has had two months since his plea was taken to make arrangements for child care.
“There are people whose children may have died as a result from what this defendant did,” Judge Christian said.
Of the 37 people indicted for being in the ring last summer, 35 were taken into custody, and all of the cases have been completed. Authorities still are looking for the other two.