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Feds Say 20 Sentenced In Ohio Drug Trafficking Prosecution

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The government says 20 people have now been sentenced in an ongoing investigation of drug trafficking in central Ohio.

Federal prosecutors say the Short North Posse, dating to the 1990s, distributed drugs including crack cocaine throughout Ohio and in other states, and recruited individuals from elsewhere to join the gang's operations in central Ohio.

Additional money laundering charges alleged the defendants used the casino in Columbus to disguise thousands of dollars in illegal drug profits. Defendants were also accused of using weapons to protect their operation.

Many of the defendants charged in 2013 were relatives of original members of the Short North Posse, including sons and daughters.

Alleged ringleader Jermonte Fletcher was shot and killed in January after authorities said he opened fire on police.