Dad, son lived high-end lifestyle as ‘major' drug traffickers in Ohio, feds say
Stephen Wheeler, 49, and his 30-year-old son, Romello Wheeler, worked as a team and shared a 'luxury' apartment in downtown Cincinnati with a monthly rent of more than $4,000, the U.S. Attorney's Office for the Southern District of Ohio said in a June 23 news release.
But their expensive tastes weren't limited to housing, according to officials.
McClatchy News reached out to attorneys listed for the men but didn't immediately receive a response.
'Throughout the eight-month investigation, the defendants drove nine different high-end vehicles, traveled extensively throughout the United States and internationally, and purchased front-row tickets with field passes for the Halftime Show for the Super Bowl in Los Angeles,' the release said.
The DEA launched an investigation into the Wheelers in July 2022, which ended in their arrests in February 2023, according to a criminal complaint filed in federal court.
In court records, a DEA agent described the Wheeler's operation as a 'large scale drug trafficking organization that is a major source of illegal narcotics in Cincinnati, Ohio, including cocaine, fentanyl, methamphetamine, and marijuana.'
Stephen Wheeler was the head of the organization and his son was the primary distributor, records said.
Investigators surveilled the Wheelers visiting various stash houses, though they took measures to avoid being caught, including altering their appearance and changing clothing, documents read. They would also 'regularly conduct counter surveillance measures, such as driving evasively, systematically driving in indirect routes with frequent stops to watch traffic and identify law enforcement.'
On Feb. 7, 2023, authorities searched a storage unit the Wheelers used and discovered large amounts of meth and fentanyl, according to the complaint. The same day, agents raided the Wheelers' apartment where they found 212 pounds of marijuana and a 'large amount of bulk US currency,' the complaint read.
The men were charged and later pleaded guilty to conspiring to possess with intent to distribute narcotics, the U.S. Attorney's Office said.
Stephen Wheeler was sentenced to 15 years in prison on June 20, officials said, and Romello Wheeler was sentenced to 12 and a half years in April.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Yahoo
11 hours ago
- Yahoo
DEA Cannabis Poisoned, Zero Oversight-Massachusetts Lab Scandal: A Case Study in DEA's Regulatory Collapse
Poisoned Cannabis, Zero DEA Oversight The DEA's mission statement is a sham under Thomas Prevoznik's watch. Americans are being poisoned by untested state cannabis operators while terminal patients are denied potential cures. WASHINGTON, D.C. / / July 6, 2025 / The Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) exists to "prevent, detect, and investigate the diversion of controlled substances while ensuring an adequate and uninterrupted supply for legitimate medical, commercial, and scientific needs". Yet under the leadership of Deputy Administrator Thomas Prevoznik, the DEA's Diversion Control Division has catastrophically failed this mission. Instead of protecting public health, the agency has allowed contaminated cannabis to flood state markets-poisoning consumers-while simultaneously blocking federally compliant pharmaceutical research that could save lives. This is not just bureaucratic incompetence; it is systemic negligence bordering on malpractice. 1. DEA's Mission Failure: Poisoned Cannabis, Zero Oversight The Massachusetts Scandal: A Case Study in Regulatory Collapse In Massachusetts, Assured Testing Laboratories-a facility responsible for testing 25% of the state's cannabis-was caught falsifying safety reports, concealing contamination, and approving products that should have failed for yeast, mold, and microbial toxins. Thousands of tainted products reached consumers, yet the DEA: Took no enforcement action Issued no national recall Failed to intervene despite its mandate to prevent diversion and ensure safety. This is not an isolated incident. Across the U.S., unregulated cannabis markets operate like the "Wild West"-with no federal quality control, no uniform safety standards, and no accountability. The DEA, under Prevoznik, has abdicated its duty, leaving Americans exposed to dangerous products while offering no recourse. 2. Blocking Medical Breakthroughs: The DEA's War on Science While turning a blind eye to contaminated street cannabis, the DEA has actively obstructed federally approved pharmaceutical research. MMJ BioPharma, a company developing cannabis-based treatments for Huntington's Disease and Multiple Sclerosis, has faced seven years of bureaucratic sabotage despite: Holding FDA Investigational New Drug (IND) approvals Securing Orphan Drug Designation for Huntington's therapy Passing DEA security inspections. Yet, Prevoznik's division refuses to grant MMJ a bulk manufacturing license, citing a retroactive "Bona Fide Supply Agreement" (BFSA) requirement that creates an impossible Catch-22: No supplier will sign a contract without DEA approval. DEA won't approve without a signed contract. This obstruction is not just regulatory failure-it's deliberate stonewalling. As MMJ's legal filings reveal, DEA Administrative Law Judges (ALJs) operate in a structurally biased system, where registrants win only 20-25% of cases, and the DEA overturns nearly all pro-registrant rulings. 3. The Human Cost: Patients Suffer While Illicit Markets Thrive The DEA's hypocrisy is staggering: Patients with epilepsy, cancer, and neurological disorders are denied access to standardized, pharmaceutical-grade cannabis112. Meanwhile, unregulated THC products-laced with pesticides, mold, and heavy metals-flood the market, making consumers sick 15. Prevoznik's DEA has created the worst of both worlds:No protection for consumers from tainted pathway for research into life-saving medicines. 4. Time for Accountability: Fire Prevoznik, Overhaul the DEA The solution is clear: Remove Thomas Prevoznik for gross negligence and regulatory malpractice. Transfer cannabis oversight to the FDA/NIH, where science-not stigma-guides policy. Investigate DEA's Diversion Control Division for systemic bias and corruption. As MMJ BioPharma CEO Duane Boise stated: "The DEA's Diversion Control Division, under Prevoznik's leadership, has failed to protect the public, failed to uphold science, and failed to meet even the most basic standards of competence." Fire Thomas Prevoznik: A Call to Action The DEA's mission statement is a sham under Prevoznik's watch. Americans are being poisoned by untested cannabis while terminal patients are denied potential cures. Congress must intervene, the courts must act, and the public must demand accountability. Enough is enough. It's time to end the DEA's obstructionism and put public health over bureaucracy. MMJ is Represented by Attorney Megan Sheahan and Associates CONTACT:Madison Hiseymedia@ SOURCE: MMJ International Holdings View the original press release on ACCESS Newswire Error in retrieving data Sign in to access your portfolio Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data
Associated Press
11 hours ago
- Associated Press
DEA Cannabis Poisoned, Zero Oversight-Massachusetts Lab Scandal: A Case Study in DEA's Regulatory Collapse
Poisoned Cannabis, Zero DEA Oversight The DEA's mission statement is a sham under Thomas Prevoznik's watch. Americans are being poisoned by untested state cannabis operators while terminal patients are denied potential cures. WASHINGTON, D.C. / ACCESS Newswire / July 6, 2025 / The Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) exists to 'prevent, detect, and investigate the diversion of controlled substances while ensuring an adequate and uninterrupted supply for legitimate medical, commercial, and scientific needs ". Yet under the leadership of Deputy Administrator Thomas Prevoznik, the DEA's Diversion Control Division has catastrophically failed this mission. Instead of protecting public health, the agency has allowed contaminated cannabis to flood state markets-poisoning consumers-while simultaneously blocking federally compliant pharmaceutical research that could save lives. This is not just bureaucratic incompetence; it is systemic negligence bordering on malpractice. 1. DEA's Mission Failure: Poisoned Cannabis, Zero Oversight The Massachusetts Scandal: A Case Study in Regulatory Collapse In Massachusetts, Assured Testing Laboratories-a facility responsible for testing 25% of the state's cannabis-was caught falsifying safety reports, concealing contamination, and approving products that should have failed for yeast, mold, and microbial toxins. Thousands of tainted products reached consumers, yet the DEA: This is not an isolated incident. Across the U.S., unregulated cannabis markets operate like the 'Wild West"-with no federal quality control, no uniform safety standards, and no accountability. The DEA, under Prevoznik, has abdicated its duty, leaving Americans exposed to dangerous products while offering no recourse. 2. Blocking Medical Breakthroughs: The DEA's War on Science While turning a blind eye to contaminated street cannabis, the DEA has actively obstructed federally approved pharmaceutical research. MMJ BioPharma, a company developing cannabis-based treatments for Huntington's Disease and Multiple Sclerosis, has faced seven years of bureaucratic sabotage despite: Yet, Prevoznik's division refuses to grant MMJ a bulk manufacturing license, citing a retroactive 'Bona Fide Supply Agreement' (BFSA) requirement that creates an impossible Catch-22: This obstruction is not just regulatory failure-it's deliberate stonewalling. As MMJ's legal filings reveal, DEA Administrative Law Judges (ALJs) operate in a structurally biased system, where registrants win only 20-25% of cases, and the DEA overturns nearly all pro-registrant rulings. 3. The Human Cost: Patients Suffer While Illicit Markets Thrive The DEA's hypocrisy is staggering: Prevoznik's DEA has created the worst of both worlds: No protection for consumers from tainted products. No pathway for research into life-saving medicines. 4. Time for Accountability: Fire Prevoznik, Overhaul the DEA The solution is clear: As MMJ BioPharma CEO Duane Boise stated: 'The DEA's Diversion Control Division, under Prevoznik's leadership, has failed to protect the public, failed to uphold science, and failed to meet even the most basic standards of competence.' Fire Thomas Prevoznik: A Call to Action The DEA's mission statement is a sham under Prevoznik's watch. Americans are being poisoned by untested cannabis while terminal patients are denied potential cures. Congress must intervene, the courts must act, and the public must demand accountability. Enough is enough. It's time to end the DEA's obstructionism and put public health over bureaucracy. MMJ is Represented by Attorney Megan Sheahan and Associates CONTACT: Madison Hisey [email protected] 203-231-8583 SOURCE: MMJ International Holdings press release
NBC Sports
2 days ago
- NBC Sports
Steve McNair was murdered 16 years ago today
Sixteen years ago today, a quiet Fourth of July afternoon was interrupted with the stunning news that former NFL quarterback Steve McNair had been shot and killed. McNair was only 36 at the time. The official explanation never made complete sense. Quickly solved as a murder-suicide, with McNair shot by his 20-year-old girlfriend, Sahel Kazemi, who then supposedly shot herself. The rush to close the case seemed odd. Police concluded that Kazemi shot McNair execution style, twice in the chest and twice in the head. A subsequent effort to re-open the case ultimately failed. The issue was pressed by Vincent Hill, a former Nashville police officer who aggressively pursued the theory that it was not a murder-suicide. In 2018, took a closer look at the unanswered questions in Fall of a Titan, a podcast series. 'I could make a case that things don't add up,' former Titans coach Jeff Fisher said in a 2024 Netflix documentary on the McNair murder. 'I don't want to speculate. Just let it go.' Even now, it's hard to let it go. It's hard not to wonder whether someone got away with double murder. And while that won't change the fact that McNair was killed on this day in 2009, there's a nagging sense that justice may not have been done. McNair was the NFL's co-MVP in 2003, and he led the team to the Super Bowl in 1999. The third overall pick in 1995 out of Alcorn State, McNair spent 13 seasons in the NFL — 11 with the Oilers/Titans and two with the Ravens. The Titans retired his number (9) in 2019.
