Final 2 men sentenced in federal court for roles in bringing drugs from Puerto Rico to Youngstown

YOUNGSTOWN, Ohio (WKBN) — Two men who pleaded guilty earlier this year for their roles in bringing cocaine from Puerto Rico to Youngstown were sentenced Thursday in federal court.

Jonathan Llarena-Rodriguez, 28, was sentenced by U.S. Judge David Ruiz in the U.S. Northern District Court of Ohio to 46 months in federal prison while Mario Roman-Rivera was sentenced to 47 months in federal prison by Judge Ruiz.

Both men pleaded guilty on April 23 to a single count of possession with intent to distribute cocaine.

On July 24, Roman-Rivera’s brother, Lisandro Roman-Rivera, 49, was sentenced to 97 months in prison by Judge Ruiz after he pleaded guilty to charges of conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute cocaine; possession with intent to distribute cocaine; and being a felon in possession of a firearm.

The three were indicted in April 2023 .

Sentencing memorandums by attorneys for the three men along with the government said that the elder Roman-Rivera moved to Youngstown in 2015 and began receiving cocaine from his brother for distribution in Youngstown.

An investigation began in February 2021 by the Drug Enforcement Administration and the United States Postal Service after parcels of cocaine were detected in the mail going to the elder Roman-Rivera in Youngstown.

Agents served a search warrant in February 2022 at the elder Roman-Rivera’s home and found $5,100 cash and a Glock semiautomatic handgun. He was ultimately deemed responsible for having five kilograms of cocaine.

The indictment in the case said the cocaine was being sold between June 2021 and April 2022.

Llarena-Rodriguez helped monitor shipments and pickups, according to an indictment in the case.

A home on West Warren Avenue on the South Side was used to store the drugs, the indictment said.

The elder Roman-Rivera had a previous drug conviction in New Jersey which prohibits him from having a gun, the indictment said.

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