Two men without legal status in the U.S. have been sentenced to prison in connection with a scheme to use a semi truck to transport illegal drugs.
Indian nationals Gurpinder Singh, 30, and Gursharn Singh, 25, were each sentenced to 10 years in prison after pleading guilty to possession with intent to distribute a controlled substance, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Ohio.
On October 3, 2023, Ohio State Highway Patrol troopers and a U.S. Border Patrol agent noticed that a semi truck “parked for an unusually extended amount of time” at a travel plaza in Wood County off I-280.
Officers checked the truck’s U.S. DOT number and learned that it had a previous association with drug trafficking and was therefore not authorized to haul interstate commerce.
Police began surveilling the truck.
The next day, officers noticed that the truck had been relocated to another service plaza along I-280, where it remained parked for “an extended period of time.”
“Because authorities observed the truck being stationary for a total of over 24 hours at two different travel plazas, they proceeded to contact the DEA Toledo Field Office for assistance. Agents then had a consensual encounter with the two defendants associated with the truck. During the encounter, Gurpinder Singh denied being parked at the previous location where the truck was observed the day before,” the U.S. Attorney’s Office said.
A Border Patrol canine was deployed. The dog alerted to the presence of drugs on the passenger side of the truck.
A probable cause search was conducted.
Officers found several duffel bags filled with 49.9 kilograms of powder cocaine.
“Upon further investigation, federal agents discovered that the defendants lacked legal status in the United States. They will be subject to removal from the United States upon the completion of their sentences,” officials said.
This case was investigated by the DEA Task Force of Toledo Field Office in partnership with the Ohio State Highway Patrol, and the U.S. Border Patrol Sandusky Bay Station.
