U.S. Department of Labor OIG, Columbus man charged in narcotics conspiracy also accused of forcing addicts into prostitution through violence (USAO SD-OH 10/04/2021) (2021-10-05)

Summary

An October 4, 2021 press release from the U.S. Attorney's Office for the Southern District of Ohio announcing an unsealed second superseding indictment that adds six defendants and sex trafficking charges to the case against Ricco Lamonte Maye, of Columbus, bringing the total to 10 defendants. According to the indictment, Maye headed an organization engaged in distributing fentanyl, crack, cocaine and methamphetamine, a mail and wire fraud conspiracy involving Pandemic Unemployment Assistance, a conspiracy to threaten potential witnesses, and a conspiracy in which women were sex trafficked. The indictments state that Maye and other defendants received more than $30,000 in fraudulent Pandemic Unemployment Assistance. Maye was first charged by indictment in November 2020.

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                                       Department of Justice
                                         U.S. Attorney’s Office
                                       Southern District of Ohio


FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE                                                          Monday, October 4, 2021

Columbus man charged in narcotics conspiracy also accused
    of forcing addicts into prostitution through violence
  10 total defendants charged in narcotics, sex trafficking, witness tampering,
                         mail & wire fraud conspiracies
COLUMBUS, Ohio – Six additional defendants and new charges involving sex trafficking have been
added to a case pending against a Columbus man who allegedly provided individuals cocaine and
fentanyl in exchange for criminal acts.



Court documents allege Ricco Lamonte Maye, 39, of Columbus, was the head of a loose organization
of individuals engaged in various types of criminal activity, including drug trafficking, sex trafficking,
and mail and wire fraud. Maye allegedly used threats, violence and manipulation of drug
dependencies to ensure individuals continued to carry out his criminal schemes.



A federal grand jury has now charged 10 total defendants with crimes related to distributing bulk
quantities of fentanyl, crack, cocaine and methamphetamine; a mail and wire fraud conspiracy
involving fraudulent Pandemic Unemployment Assistance; a conspiracy to threaten potential
witnesses; and an alleged conspiracy in which women were sex trafficked to earn drug money.



Maye was originally charged by indictment in November 2020 and has remained in federal custody
since. A second superseding indictment was unsealed today.



According to the second superseding indictment, beginning in at least 2018, Maye’s drug trafficking
organization primarily distributed narcotics to addicts in street-level quantities. It is alleged he
regularly purchased narcotics from supply sources both inside and outside of Ohio and used addicts
to transport the drugs back to Columbus for resale.



Court documents say Maye would accept stolen goods, gift cards, Social Security numbers and other
items in addition to cash as payment for the drugs.



The indictments detail that Maye and other defendants filed for and received more than $30,000 in
fraudulent Pandemic Unemployment Assistance. Maye allegedly kept all or a portion of the others’
benefits.
It is alleged that Maye initially gave drugs to women for free and later required them to earn drug
money through prostitution. The second superseding indictment details that Maye provided the
means for the women to engage in prostitution – frequently obtaining hotel rooms, having the
women driven to the hotels, providing cell phones, and directing Internet prostitution ads. Maye
allegedly collected the prostitution proceeds, enforced specific rules on the women and punished the
women through physical violence.



Finally, it is alleged that, after his initial arrest on federal charges in November 2020, Maye
attempted to obstruct the ongoing investigation into his sex trafficking and fraud activities.



Specifically, according to court documents, Maye consistently made phone calls to various co-
conspirators and potential witnesses in an attempt to determine whether individuals had spoken to
or otherwise cooperated with law enforcement. In these communications, he allegedly directed co-
conspirators to cause physical harm to potential witnesses against him or directly threatened such
potential witnesses with physical harm. Maye allegedly directed some co-defendants to use his
Facebook account to reach and threaten others.



For example, in November 2020, Maye allegedly directed someone to mix rat poison into fentanyl
and give it to a co-defendant he believed could be cooperating with law enforcement.



Defendants charged in this case include:

 Name                                     Also Known As                           Age        City


 Ricco L. Maye                            Roscoe                                  39         Columbus


 Airrika N. Anthony                                                               33         Columbus


 Nicole L. Groves                         Nikki                                   32         Columbus


 Kevin E. Pearson                                                                 58         Columbus


 Jasmine R. Weather                       Jazmine, Jazmyne, Jaz                   23         Columbus
 Jacob M. Capan                          Jake                                    28         Pickerington


 Danielle C. Ferguson                    Dani                                    31         Columbus


 Vincent N. Morrow                       V                                       39         Columbus


 Ashleigh A. Davis                       Snowflake                               28         Chillicothe


 Victor Blake                            Slim                                    60         Columbus




The drug conspiracy charged in this case is punishable by a minimum of 10 years and up to life in
prison. The sex trafficking by force conspiracy charged in this case is punishable by at least 15 years
and up to life in prison. Conspiracy to commit wire and mail fraud is punishable by up to 20 years in
prison. Conspiring to tamper with a witness carries a potential penalty of up to 30 years in prison.
Obstructing law enforcement is punishable by up to 25 years in prison.



Vipal J. Patel, Acting United States Attorney for the Southern District of Ohio; Roland Herndon,
Special Agent in Charge, U.S. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF); J. William
Rivers, Special Agent in Charge, Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), Cincinnati Division; Ohio
Attorney General Dave Yost; the U.S. Department of Labor Office of Inspector General and
Columbus Police Chief Elaine Bryant announced the charges. Assistant United States Attorneys
Kevin W. Kelley and Heather A. Hill are representing the United States in this case.



An indictment is merely an allegation, and defendants are presumed innocent unless proven guilty in
a court of law.



                                                 ###
Topic(s):                                               Component(s):
Human Trafficking                                       USAO - Ohio, Southern
Drug Trafficking


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