Cleveland, Ohio – A Trumbull County man has been sentenced to more than ten years in federal prison for his role in a cross-country drug trafficking scheme that moved large quantities of cocaine from California to Ohio.
Andre L. Bowers, 55, of Warren, appeared before U.S. District Judge Pamela A. Barker, who sentenced him to 128 months in prison, followed by five years of supervised release. The sentence followed Bowers’ guilty plea in September 2025 to Attempted Possession of a Controlled Substance with the Intent to Distribute.
According to court documents, the investigation reached a turning point on January 4, 2025, when the Ohio State Highway Patrol (OSHP) stopped a trailer truck hauling vehicles from California to Ohio. After obtaining the driver’s consent to search two specific vehicles on the trailer, troopers discovered both had been modified to conceal illegal drugs.
Upon examining the gas tanks, investigators found 36 brick-sized packages that tested positive for cocaine. The seized drugs weighed more than 36 kilograms, or nearly 80 pounds.
Surveillance Leads to Arrest and Additional Drug Seizures
Rather than immediately seizing the trailer, law enforcement allowed it to continue on its route. Agents with the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) tracked the truck to its delivery point in Warren, Ohio. There, Bowers arrived and proceeded to drive both vehicles—those previously found with cocaine—to another location on Park Avenue in Warren.
Two days later, federal agents executed a search warrant at that location. They found Bowers, who was taken into custody. Nearby, investigators noted that a back seat had been removed from one of the vehicles and placed next to it, along with gloves and tools, suggesting further tampering.
Authorities then searched two residences linked to Bowers, uncovering six firearms, approximately 1.4 kilograms of a fentanyl analogue, and 136 grams of pure methamphetamine.
The case was investigated by the DEA Youngstown Resident Office in close coordination with the Ohio State Highway Patrol, showcasing the power of state and federal collaboration in dismantling high-level drug operations.
