CLEVELAND — An Ohio man and woman have been sentenced to prison for their roles in a drug trafficking conspiracy that spanned from Texas to Ohio.
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Thaer Mustafa, 41, of North Olmsted, was sentenced to 120 months this week, while Elyssia Sanabria, 26, of LaGrange, was sentenced to 70 months.
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The pair pleaded guilty in April to conspiracy to distribute controlled substances, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Ohio.
A federal investigation into suspected illegal drug activity found that Mustafa and Sanabria were sourcing controlled substances used in paper-soaking laboratories.
While executing a search warrant at an apartment in Cleveland, federal agents caught Mustafa and Sanabria retrieving bags of cocaine and emptying the contents into a toilet. Agents also located powder, reams of soaking paper, and a gas mask inside the residence.
Investigators conducted another search at a storefront in Fairview Park, where they uncovered bulk amounts of chemicals and equipment used to produce drug-soaked paper for prison distribution.
In total, federal authorities seized kilograms of controlled substances, $300,000 in cash and multiple firearms connected to the drug operation.
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