Ohio man sentenced on cocaine trafficking charges in federal court

PITTSBURGH (WKBN) — A Columbus resident has been sentenced in federal court this week after being convicted on charges of trafficking cocaine from Ohio to western Pennsylvania as part of a larger investigation.

Norberto Castillo-Lopez, 34, was found guilty of conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute five kilograms or more of cocaine during a three-day court trial in November 2023.

This week, Castillo-Lopez was sentenced to 135 months — just over 11 years — of imprisonment, followed by five years of supervised release.

Evidence introduced during that trial established that Castillo-Lopez was the organizer and leader of an organization that was trafficking kilogram-quantities of cocaine from Columbus, Ohio, into the Western District of Pennsylvania, according to a news release.

Beginning in December 2019 and continuing through August 2020, the Drug Enforcement Administration conducted a wiretap investigation, and Castillo-Lopez was intercepted by authorities agreeing to supply cocaine to a co-conspirator. Authorities determined the conspirator’s role was to redistribute Castillo-Lopez’s cocaine to lower-level distributors for resale in the cities of New Castle and Farrell.

In September 2020, investigators executed a search warrant at Castillo-Lopez’s residence and reported recovering cocaine, bulk United States currency and a kilogram wrapper.

This investigation was part of a larger operation in 2020, called “ Operation No Mercy, ” when investigators said the organization had ties to a Mexican drug cartel. Others who were indicted alongside Castillo-Lopez have already been charged and sentenced .

Numerous law enforcement agencies across both states were involved in the investigation, including the Lawrence County Drug Task Force–Special Investigations Unit and New Castle Police Department.

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