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Friday, October 20, 2023

100 years of prison for drug operation, woman pleads guilty for the second time in conspiracy

A 26-year-old Zanesville woman pleaded guilty for a second time to charges related to her role in a local drug-dealing conspiracy.

Last week, Victoria Barrientos pleaded guilty to one second-degree felony count of engaging in a pattern of corrupt activity, one third-degree felony count of money laundering, one fourth-degree count of attempted money laundering, one second-degree felony count of corrupting another with drugs and one third-degree felony count of trafficking drugs.

Barrientos’ crimes are a continuation of her previous criminal activity related to the drug operation led by her boyfriend, Deangelo “D-Lo” Tellis, who is serving a 15 to 19-and-a-half year prison sentence.

Two years ago, Barrientos was convicted of money laundering and permitting drug abuse, also related to Tellis’s drug dealing in Zanesville. She served an 18-month sentence in that case, from which she was released early by the Ohio Department of Rehabilitation and Correction into a halfway house.

Not long after her release, Barrientos became involved in another criminal investigation when she sold a large amount of fentanyl to another man in Zanesville while on the phone with Tellis.

Barrientos was arrested while traveling to Zanesville in possession of a bag containing suboxone strips packaged for distribution and concealed in a baby wipe dispenser. She hid the bag with the drugs on her children when they were taken by children’s services.

Suboxone is a street drug of abuse marketed by pharmaceutical companies as an alternative to opiates. The drugs planted on the child have an estimated prison value of $30,000.

The Columbus-based dealers began trafficking drugs and recruiting members in Zanesville in 2017, following the murder of one of their criminal associates in Columbus. Local law enforcement conducted an extensive investigation over a lengthy period of time.

As a result, a dozen individuals were arrested and convicted on drug related charges in Zanesville and elsewhere.

Drug recoveries involving the Tellis group resulted in some of the largest drug busts in county history.

Thus far, more than 100 combined years of imprisonment has been handed out to this drug dealing criminal group.

Convicted associates of the group were:

Trece “Trey-8” Reynolds, Columbus – serving 14 to 19-and-a-half years out of Muskingum County Common Pleas Court

Kazion “Zon” Coleman, Columbus – serving six to nine years out of Muskingum Common Pleas Court

Naomi Becker, Columbus – served 30 months out of Muskingum Common Pleas Court

James “D-Rose” Johnson, Columbus – serving six to nine years out of Muskingum Common Pleas Court

Kascal “CT” Armour, Columbus – serving 22-31 years out of Allen County Common Pleas Court

Kyrel “Rel” Coleman, Columbus – served one year out of Franklin County Common Pleas Court

Carmencita Sims, Zanesville – served 10 months out of Muskingum Common Pleas Court

Vada “Missy” McQueary, Zanesville – serving four to six years out of Muskingum Common Pleas Court

Tyler Kinchen, Zanesville – serving 21 to 26-and-a-half years out of Muskingum Common Pleas Court

Raymone “Bang” Jackson, Zanesville – serving 16 to 21-and-a-half years out of Muskingum Common Pleas Court

Benjamin Nash, Zanesville – serving two years of probation out of US District Court in West Virginia

Victoria “Vic” Barrientos, Zanesville – served 18 months out of Muskingum Common Pleas Court

Timothy Thomas, Zanesville – serving 10 to 14 years out of Muskingum Common Pleas Court

Amber Bice, Zanesville – serving eight to 12 years out of Muskingum Common Pleas Court

The investigations involving Tellis’ crew spanned the entire Southeastern Ohio region and included charges as far away as Washington and Allen Counties and into West Virginia including Parkersburg and Charleston.

“For some people, the easy money of drug dealing can become as addicting as the narcotics themselves,” Assistant Prosecutor John Litle said, “but people who traffic pounds of methamphetamine and fentanyl obviously need serious time in prison. The century of prison handed out to this operation stands as a reminder that the courts in this county will always impose those serious sentences.”

Investigations into related cases are ongoing.

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