CLEVELAND – A 34-year-old Lorain County man has been indicted on drug trafficking charges that resulted in one person’s overdose.
A federal grand jury returned an indictment charging Roderick Cross, Jr., AKA Chubb, of Elyria, Ohio, with the following:
Distribution of Cocaine Base (Crack) Distribution of Cocaine and Fentanyl Possession with Intent to Distribute Fentanyl Possession with Intent to Distribute Para-fluorofentanyl Felon in Possession of a Firearm; prior convictions include Attempted Murder and Felonious Assault in 2010; Robbery in 2018; and Drug Trafficking and Drug Possession in 2025. According to the allegations, on March 15, 2025, Cross intentionally distributed several controlled substances to a person, J.K., who then fatally overdosed. The victim was found to have ingested cocaine and fentanyl which investigators connected to the defendant. During search warrant executions at two locations suspected of being connected with Cross, agents seized firearms, fentanyl, and drug paraphernalia.
The investigation in this case is being conducted by the FBI Cleveland Division and the Elyria Police Department-Narcotics Unit, with the assistance of the FBI’s Lorain/Elyria Safe Streets Task Force.
Assistant United States Attorneys Elizabeth M. Crook and Stephanie A. Wojtasik for the Northern District of Ohio are leading the prosecution.
If convicted, the defendant faces a mandatory minimum of 20 years and up to life in federal prison. The sentence will be determined by the court after a review of factors unique to this case, including the defendant’s prior criminal record, if any, the defendant’s role in the offense, and the characteristics of the violations. Cross faces enhanced sentencing penalties as a result of the victim’s death resulting from illegal drug distribution and for prior serious felony convictions.
An indictment is only a charge and is not evidence of guilt. Defendants are entitled to a fair trial in which it will be the government’s burden to prove guilt beyond a reasonable doubt.
Source: U.S. Attorney’s Office — Northern District of Ohio — U.S. Department of Justice press release.