Last member of family-run cocaine drug ring indicted

The last member of a familyrun cocaine-trafficking organization has been indicted, said Elyria police Capt. Chris Costantino.

Donte Griffin, 26, of Elyria, has been charged with four counts of trafficking in drugs, two counts of conspiracy, one count of engaging in a pattern of corrupt activity and one count of forfeiture, according to court records.

“He’s been rather evasive for a while,” Costantino said.

Griffin was part of a morethan-30-member cocaine-trafficking organization called Burns’ Drug Trafficking Operation, which was run by cousins Jarvis Burns, 34, of Sheffield Lake, and Travis Milton, 34, of Elyria, Costantino said.

As of March 18, while executing search warrants, authorities had seized roughly 3.3 kilograms of cocaine worth an estimated street value of $400,000, 20 grams of heroin, about 98 grams of marijuana, 10 vehicles, five handguns and more than $84,000 in cash, officials said.

The organization had been bringing in the cocaine from Cuyahoga County, officials said.

Members of the U.S. Marshals Service located and arrested Griffin on Oct. 6 at his West Avenue home, the captain said.

Griffin had been posting comments on social media that he wasn’t going to be found, but the U.S. Marshals proved him wrong, Costantino said.

Griffin has a criminal past and has previously been found guilty of trafficking cocaine, having weapons while under disability, possession of drugs, possession of criminal tools and possession of drug paraphernalia, according to court records.

Costantino said he hopes that Griffin’s criminal past will be taken into consideration when he goes to court.

“He’s got a lot of charges of drug-related offenses on his record already, so this is somebody who, unfortunately, has been involved in this for quite some time,” he said.

Griffin is being held in the Lorain County Jail in lieu of a $250,000 bond and has an arraignment scheduled for Oct. 21.