12 Indicted for Bringing ‘Piles of Cocaine Into Cleveland’

CLEVELAND — 12 individuals have been indicted on federal charges associated with a conspiracy to ship large amounts of cocaine to Cleveland via chartered planes. 

According to Steven M. Dettelbach, U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of Ohio, the defendants chartered private airplanes and flew the drugs into Cleveland from Texas. Drug shipments to Cleveland also came from Atlanta and a suburb of Chicago.

Dettelbach says that at least 24 kilograms of cocaine and $157,500 in cash were seized as part of the investigation.The flights to Cleveland occurred from August 2009 to March 2012, according to the indictment.

The following individuals from the Cleveland area were indicted:

Johnny S. Phillips, aka “Nasty” or “Reef,” age 39, of South Euclid, Ohio.

Errick Phillips, aka “E” or “Ike,” age 41, of Lyndhurst, Ohio;

William Mangum, Jr., aka “Billy” or “Steel Bill,” age 43, of Cleveland;

Richard A. Born, age 58, of Cleveland, Ohio;

Lamark Robinson, aka “Squirrel,” or “S.Q.,” age 30, of Cleveland;

Mark Anderson, aka “Floyd,” age 38, of Cleveland Heights, Ohio;

Robert Oldorff, age 52, of Cleveland;

John H. McDonald, age 52, of Cleveland;

Sharon Manchook, age 51, of Cleveland.

“This group is accused of using private airplanes to bring piles of cocaine into Cleveland,” said Dettelbach. “This case is a great example of law enforcement working together to choke off the supply of drugs that hit our streets.”

According to the indictment, the cocaine was flow into Cleveland from Laredo, Texas and then delivered to Johnny Phillips and Errick Phillips. The cocaine dropped in Cleveland was then distributed through a network of dealers in the Cleveland area.

The proceeds from the cocaine were then flown back to the suppliers in Laredo, Texas, according to the indictment.