Ontario M. Yarbrough, a 26-year-old resident of Columbus, has been sentenced to 135 months in prison by the U.S. District Court. He was found guilty of participating in a narcotics conspiracy that involved the mailing of kilogram quantities of drugs from Arizona to Columbus.
According to court records, Yarbrough was found to have received and accepted a minimum of five packages of narcotics between April and October 2023. Not only did he personally receive five packages, but he also monitored nine additional packages on the USPS website, all of which were sent from Arizona to Columbus. Yarbrough operated from a property located on South Burgess Avenue in Columbus, where he would receive the drugs, repackage them, and distribute them. One package that was intercepted during this period contained around half a kilogram of fentanyl.
During the execution of a search warrant at his residence, authorities uncovered a stash of fentanyl, cocaine, and firearms.
In October 2023, the defendant faced criminal charges and was subsequently arrested. In May 2024, Yarbrough admitted guilt for conspiring to distribute and possessing with intent to distribute 400 grams or more of fentanyl.
Kenneth L. Parker, the United States Attorney for the Southern District of Ohio, together with Lesley Allison, the Inspector in Charge of the U.S. Postal Inspection Service (USPIS) Pittsburgh Division, revealed that Chief U.S. District Court Judge Sarah D. Morrison handed down the sentence on November 12. Assistant United States Attorney Damoun Delaviz represents the United States in this particular case.