Cleveland, Ohio – A complex drug trafficking organization that stretched from California to Ohio has been brought down, and eleven individuals have now been sentenced for their roles in the wide-reaching criminal network. The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Ohio revealed the results of a detailed investigation into a criminal enterprise that operated primarily on the east side of Cleveland. This case, tied to a superseding federal indictment issued on February 22, 2024, involved major drug transport, money laundering, violence, and weapons offenses.
A Criminal Enterprise Built on Marijuana and Money Orders
The conspiracy dates back to May 2021 through late November 2022, during which time members of the organization trafficked hundreds of pounds of marijuana from California to Ohio. At the center of this operation was Jerry Baker, also known as Jerry Bogarty, a 34-year-old from Cleveland who led the organization’s daily operations. Baker managed who was permitted to sell drugs, collect money, and even who had the right to launder proceeds. His control was so extensive that he orchestrated acts of violence, extortion, and robbery to handle unpaid debts within the network.
The group’s supply came from Walter Sornoza, 50, of Los Angeles, who led a cross-country distribution scheme called “Empire Genetics.” To transport drugs, associates would fly from California to Cleveland with suitcases packed with marijuana, using commercial flights as cover. Once the drugs arrived, Baker’s team would distribute them throughout Cleveland and beyond.
The profits didn’t just sit in pockets. Baker and his associates converted cash into money orders, which were then transported back to California by trusted couriers. One associate was even responsible for flying from Cleveland to Los Angeles with the laundered money to pay off Sornoza’s team.
A Business Front and Weapons Cache
To mask their operation, Baker bought a small local business named “In & Out Tires,” which served as a base for the group’s drug storage and distribution. During the investigation, law enforcement uncovered firearms scattered across the premises, alongside money order receipts, packaging materials, and suitcases—all pointing directly to a sophisticated trafficking ring.
Sentences Handed Down Across the Board
All eleven defendants pleaded guilty and were sentenced by U.S. District Judge Patricia A. Gaughan. Here are some of the key outcomes:
- Jerry Baker received 168 months in prison for drug trafficking, money laundering, racketeering, firearm possession, and operating a drug premises. He will also serve five years of supervised release.
- Walter Sornoza was sentenced to 108 months in prison for drug trafficking and money laundering and also received five years of supervised release.
- Deshaun Martin, 36, from Cleveland, received 87 months in prison for conspiracy to distribute drugs, laundering, and firearm offenses, plus four years of supervised release.
- Noblys Garcia, also known as Flaco, 43, from Studio City, California, was sentenced to 60 months in prison and five years of supervised release.
- Sidne Spencer, 28, from North Hollywood, received two years of probation.
- Keveon Lewis, 44, from Corona, California, got six months in prison, six months of location monitoring, and two years of supervised release.
- Moniqka Hazzard, 32, from Riverside, was given 30 days in prison, seven months of location monitoring, and three years of supervised release.
- Jerry Baker Sr., 55, from Cleveland, received three years of probation.
- Antonio Lanier, 35, from Cleveland, was sentenced to 12 months and one day in prison, plus three years of supervised release.
- Herman Wilson, 43, from Katy, Texas, was sentenced to two years of probation.
- Ajeremiah Baker, aka AJ, 20, from Garfield Heights, Ohio, was sentenced to 24 months in prison and three years of supervised release.
A Joint Federal Strike Against Organized Crime
This case was part of a broader initiative under the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF) Strike Force Initiative, which aims to bring down the nation’s most powerful and organized drug networks. Using a model where agents from multiple federal agencies work side-by-side, this operation targeted not only drug distribution but also financial crimes and violence tied to trafficking networks…