Cleveland woman admits to running large-scale ring that funneled cocaine
CLEVELAND — A Cleveland woman has admitted to leading a large-scale drug ring that poured nearly 450 pounds of cocaine into Northeast Ohio from California.
Khalilah Crumpler, 46, pleaded guilty to conspiracy charges Tuesday before U.S. District Judge Sara Lioi. Crumpler faces a minimum of 10 years in prison to a maximum of life behind bars when Lioi sentences her April 8.
For years, Crumpler used drivers to haul the drugs and hundreds of thousands of dollars in cash between Cleveland and Ontario, California, which is located just east of Los Angeles, according to a plea agreement in the case.
The drivers hid the cocaine and cash in suitcases and heavy-duty Pelican cases and stored them in secret compartments to elude law enforcement, the plea agreement said.
Once the drugs came to Cleveland, Crumpler relied on Christopher Fitzgerald, a courier driver, to distribute them, records show. Lioi sentenced Fitzgerald in 2017 to 188 months in prison for using his job to peddle cocaine across the country.
Crumpler and Fitzgerald used an apartment in Beachwood to stash drug proceeds, money counters and other supplies for the ring. Prosecutors said Crumpler funneled profits from the drug enterprise into phony companies. She used her family and friends as owners of the businesses, according to court records.
She was arrested in 2019 following an investigation that began years earlier. She caught the attention of law enforcement after a traffic stop in Twinsburg in 2010. Officers realized she had an outstanding warrant in Maple Heights.
They found she had $677,600 in her vehicle. She testified the money was given to her by a boyfriend, according to the plea agreement.
Federal prosecutors later seized the cash, as they said it stemmed from drug sales. They claimed some of the money had been wrapped in dryer sheets, a move to mask the scent of drugs or cash involved in illicit transactions.
In December 2017, Crumpler gave a suspected supplier $680,000 for nearly 60 pounds of cocaine, the plea agreement said. Authorities said she used an apartment near Los Angeles to prepare and package the shipments to Cleveland.
To avoid detection, she poured hundreds of thousands of dollars in drug proceeds into the shell companies, according to the plea agreement. Prosecutors said she and Fitzgerald formed H20 Ultra Lounge in Maple Heights with the profits. It closed in October 2016 after a fatal shooting and frequent calls to police.
She also formed Trillionaire Tykes, an attempt at an upscale clothing line for children, and 2 Saucie Productions, an apparent recording studio, records show.
Prosecutors are seeking to seize diamond-studded earrings, several high-end bracelets, framed jerseys of O.J. Simpson and Magic Johnson, boxing gloves autographed by Muhammad Ali and $25,369 in cash. They claim the items were obtained through drug sales.