Indicted Men Tried To Sell 16 Pounds Of Meth In Ohio: DOJ

CLEVELAND - A group of people have been charged with trying to sell 16 pounds of methamphetamine in Northeast Ohio.

A nine-count indictment was filed against four people for their role in the suspected drug ring, the Department of Justice said. All four have been charged with conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute methamphetamine, as well as additional charges related to methamphetamine.

The four indicted people are: Rafael Smith, 47, of Covington, Virginia; Robert Coore, 46, a Jamaican national; Shuree Jefferson, 41, of Garfield Heights, and Jeffrey Westmoreland, 30, of Rock Creek.

According to the indictment, Coore and Smith met in Beachwood, Independence, Cleveland and Brooklyn during March and April 2019 to discuss selling large amounts of methamphetamine. The two men did not realize they were also meeting with an undercover law enforcement agent.

Coore told the agent he was going to California to arrange for bulk shipments of narcotics to the Cleveland area. He and Smith then asked for the agent's help in finding a warehouse with a loading dock and town motor capable of offloading a tractor trailer, the indictment said.

Law enforcement took Coore into custody on April 23. He had four pounds of methamphetamine in his possession, the Department of Justice said. When law enforcement searched Smith's home in Aurora, they seized another three pounds of methamphetamine, the DOJ added.

Prosecutors are seeking the forfeit of nearly $48,000 in cash seized during the investigation.

Homeland Security, the DEA, and Cleveland police led the investigation into the four men.