Columbus man, Arizona supplier plead guilty to fentanyl conspiracy

COLUMBUS, Ohio (WCMH) -- A Columbus man and his Arizona supplier have both pleaded guilty to conspiring to distribute more than 400 grams of fentanyl in Columbus.

Ontario M. Yarbrough, 26, was accused of operating a "drug house" in the Hilltop area in 2023, U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Ohio Kenneth L. Parker said. Yarbrough pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to distribute and to possess with intent to distribute more than 400 grams of fentanyl on June 13, and his supplier, Jose Ruben Leyva, 46, pleaded guilty to the same crime Tuesday.

According to Parker, Yarbrough accepted five packages and tracked at least 13 packages from Arizona between April and October 2023 at locations around Columbus.

After he received one of the packages, delivered by an undercover postal investigator, investigators executed a search warrant of Yarbrough's house, according to court documents. Inside the home, investigators found the package he had received contained nearly 500 grams of fentanyl. Officers also seized 10 bags of "white powder," two firearms and ammunition, cash and drug trafficking material, according to Parker.

Leyva's home in Buckeye, Arizona, was searched days later, where investigators found pills and powder containing fentanyl, packaging materials, cash and other drug paraphernalia, according to Parker.

The crime is punishable by at least 10 years in prison, with a maximum sentence of life in prison. A sentencing date will be scheduled, Parker said, and the court will determine their sentences.