Jeffrey Lee, a 25-year-old member of the Fully Blooded Felons gang from Cleveland, was sentenced today to 12 years in prison after pleading guilty to Racketeering Influenced and Corrupt Organizations (RICO) conspiracy, drug offenses including fentanyl distribution, and possessing a firearm during a drug trafficking crime.
Assistant Attorney General A. Tysen Duva of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division said, “This defendant, now a fully convicted and sentenced felon, will spend the next 12 years in prison because of his drug dealing and firearm crimes.” U.S. Attorney David M. Toepfer for the Northern District of Ohio added, “We will not tolerate violent drug traffickers like Mr. Lee who devastate our communities and hurt people with the drugs they peddle.”
The Fully Blooded Felons gang has operated in Ohio since approximately 2012, primarily in eastside Cleveland, Akron, and Youngstown, and is also active within the Ohio prison system. The gang maintains a "Commission" to enforce structure and rules, including "omerta," a code of silence, and the "Fully Five" rules members were required to memorize.
Lee served as an enforcer, regularly distributing fentanyl and other drugs for the gang. Law enforcement recovered nearly three-quarters of a pound of fentanyl, along with cocaine, methamphetamine, and seven firearms from two stash-houses used by the gang. Special Agent in Charge Joshua DelManzo of the FBI Cleveland Field Office said the sentencing highlights the power of partnership between federal and local resources to dismantle criminal networks.