By Peggy Kreimer and Joe Wessels
The Cincinnati Post (Ohio)
CINCINNATI — Federal agents broke up a local marijuana distribution ring this week, arresting 12 people, including a Cincinnati Fire Department lieutenant.
Lt. Michael Ferguson, who worked at Engine Nine in the Bond Hill neighborhood, was a key part of the illegal operation, authorities said.
“The firefighter played just as significant a role as the others,” said Russ Neville, special agent in charge of the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration office in Cincinnati. “He wasn’t the leader, but he was in there with all the rest.”
Federal drug agents broke up a marijuana distribution ring this week, making 12 arrests in Greater Cincinnati on Thursday and Friday.
Neville said agents believe Maurice Ferguson, 36, who owns the 513 Store in Walnut Hills, was the leader of the ring. The store sells Hip Hop clothing.
Maurice Ferguson, who sources said is related to Michael Ferguson, was arrested Thursday in Florence, Ky., in a retail strip where he was looking into opening a similar store, said Neville. He said Cincinnati and Florence police joined DEA officers in making arrests.
The group received shipments of 1,500 to 3,000 pounds of marijuana a month from a supplier in Riverside, Calif. The bales of marijuana came by tractor-trailer and were divided among several “stash houses,” Neville said.
“Sometimes they’d drop it off in Sharonville, sometimes downtown,” said Neville. “Sometimes four or five people would meet the truck and they’d each take some to a different place. They’d act as wholesalers. They give out a pound at a time or 20, 30, 50 pounds at a time.”
Using information from state and local police departments and confidential sources, the DEA made pot buys from ring members, Neville said.
Officers and agents began rounding up the suspects Thursday after a grand jury handed up 13 indictments.
By mid-morning Friday, 12 suspects had been apprehended locally. The supplier of the dope was arrested Thursday in Marina Del Rey, Calif., by DEA officers and Riverside Police.
The group included men and women, many from the same family.
Neville said Michael Ferguson surrendered to police Friday morning.
“I hope the actions of one firefighter won’t have a negative impact on the reputations of the rest of the men and women firefighters and police who work in Cincinnati,” said Neville. “You have a lot of men and women out there working to save lives. This is just one man.”
The Cincinnati Fire Department said Ferguson has been suspended without pay, according to WCPO-TV. Calls to the fire department from The Post Friday were not returned.
Those arrested locally were in court Friday.
A judge in California refused to set a bond for the suspected supplier arrested there, Neville said.
Copyright 2007 SCRIPPS Howard Publications
All Rights Reserved