A Pickerington man who was a co-leader of a drug and human trafficking ring was sentenced Friday to 30 years in prison, according to federal prosecutors.
Cordell Washington, 38, and Patrick Saultz conducted a cocaine trafficking operation in Columbus from 2008 to 2022, which also involved sex trafficking, fraud, and money laundering, prosecutors said.
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Washington was sentenced for drug, weapons, human trafficking, and money laundering charges. Saultz was sentenced to prison in March.
In 2022, prosecutors announced the case after indicting 11 individuals for allegedly distributing fentanyl, cocaine, and crack cocaine near an elementary school. Twelve other people were later charged.
Prosecutors assert that the drug network brought narcotics into Columbus to coerce individuals into engaging in sexual activities. Many of the drug deals apparently occurred within 1,000 feet of Burroughs Elementary School.
One subordinate sold approximately $18,000 in narcotics per day from a site near the school.
Washington admitted to labor trafficking in April 2024 and stated that he would distribute drugs to individuals after they finished construction or cleaning work at the organization’s residences, according to prosecutors.
He would give the men modest doses of narcotics for the hard task. If he wasn’t satisfied with the work, prosecutors said he’d refuse to give them the remaining narcotics and threaten them with violence.
So far, 11 of the 23 defendants charged in the case have been condemned, including six who face more than ten years in prison.
According to authorities, the case involves at least one overdose fatality and one additional death.
