A Youngstown, Ohio man has pleaded guilty on April 30 to charges related to a drug trafficking operation involving fentanyl pills sent from Arizona to Ohio.
Alijaha Scott, age 25, admitted guilt for conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute controlled substances, as well as interstate travel in aid of racketeering. According to court documents, Scott and his co-conspirators operated from about April 2022 through 2024 by shipping parcels containing fentanyl pills from Arizona into the Youngstown area for redistribution. Authorities say that on August 2, 2023, Scott traveled from Ohio to Arizona and shipped a parcel back before returning home. Law enforcement stopped him on Interstate 80 after his return and found a vacuum-sealing machine in his suitcase. Cellphone evidence indicated that Scott was communicating with another conspirator about fentanyl pills.
Scott is scheduled for sentencing on August 4. The sentence will be determined by a federal district court judge who will consider the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other legal factors.
This case is part of the Homeland Security Task Force initiative created under Executive Order 14159: Protecting the American People Against Invasion. The task force brings together multiple agencies at all levels of government with a focus on dismantling criminal cartels and organizations involved in crimes such as human smuggling and trafficking both inside the United States and abroad.
The prosecution is being led by Assistant United States Attorney James P. Lewis for the Northern District of Ohio. The U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of Ohio promotes community safety and protects residents through outreach programs and victim services across northern Ohio according to its official website. This office serves as the chief federal law enforcement entity within its district under the Department of Justice according to its official website.
The office enforces federal criminal laws related to national security, public corruption, civil rights issues, defends civil suits against the United States, and works closely with schools as well as law enforcement agencies according to its official website. Covering forty counties in northern Ohio—including offices in Cleveland, Toledo, Akron, and Youngstown—the office operates within federal law enforcement frameworks while engaging communities directly according to its official website.
