A Canadian citizen has been sentenced to three years in prison after pleading guilty to possessing 90 pounds of MDMA, also known as ecstasy, with the intent to distribute. Dontavius Forbes, 27, received his sentence from U.S. District Judge Jeffrey J. Helmick on November 21. Following completion of his prison term, Forbes will be deported to Canada.
Court documents show that on August 7, 2024, a U.S. Border Patrol agent noticed a compact SUV with Canadian license plates parked at a service plaza near the Interstate 80/90 Ohio Turnpike in Sandusky County. The agent investigated and encountered Forbes, who was driving the vehicle. During a consensual search of the SUV, agents found modifications in the cargo area and discovered two hidden compartments containing vacuum-sealed packages suspected to be illegal drugs.
A field test confirmed that one of the packages contained MDMA. Authorities also seized nearly $3,000 in cash from the vehicle. Further analysis by a forensic laboratory verified that all recovered packages contained MDMA.
The investigation was carried out by the U.S. Border Patrol-Sandusky Bay Station and the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA). Assistant United States Attorney Frank H. Spryszak prosecuted the case for the Northern District of Ohio.
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