Two men from Columbus, Ohio, have been sentenced to lengthy prison terms for their involvement in drug and human trafficking operations. Dustin A. Speakman, 35, received a sentence of 23 years for conspiracy to distribute controlled substances near an elementary school and his role in a violent death. Tyler Bourdo, 31, was sentenced to 25 years for similar drug-related charges and conspiracy to commit sex trafficking.
The two are among nearly two dozen individuals charged in connection with the large-scale trafficking rings that resulted in at least two deaths. According to court documents, the operation spanned from 2008 until June 2022 under the leadership of Patrick Saultz and Cordell Washington.
The organization trafficked various drugs into Columbus, including fentanyl and heroin. These substances were used to coerce individuals into sexual activities for profit. Speakman joined the operation after his release from jail in 2022 and admitted to violently assaulting one of his drug runners who later died due to blunt force trauma.
Bourdo managed a stash house on North Warren Street where he provided narcotics as compensation for property use. His plea agreement detailed an incident where a woman overdosed on drugs supplied by Bourdo's operation and later died.
Acting U.S. Attorney Kelly A. Norris praised the investigation led by Ohio Attorney General Dave Yost’s task force, which included several law enforcement agencies such as the Columbus Division of Police and U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Homeland Security Investigations.
Assistant United States Attorneys Timothy Prichard and Emily Czerniejewski are prosecuting the case as part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) operation aimed at dismantling high-level criminal organizations threatening the United States.