The Cincinnati Enquirer

A federal grand jury has indicted 23 people for their alleged involvement in a conspiracy to distribute cocaine and marijuana in the Cincinnati area, Gregory G. Lockhart, U.S. attorney for the Southern District of Ohio, announced Thursday.

The members of the conspiracy - all of whom face at least 10 years in prison and up to a $4 million fine if convicted - organized a drug ring that operated between Houston, Chicago and Cincinnati, Lockhart said.

According to the indictment, Steven Michael Kidwell, 27, of Green Township, would obtain marijuana and cocaine from individuals in Cincinnati, Chicago and Houston and then conspire with others to distribute and store drugs in the Cincinnati area.

"Federal law enforcement agencies continue to work with local authorities in a combined effort to reduce the level of drug activity in the community," Lockhart said. "Our main focus continues to be the prosecution of individuals who are bringing illegal drugs into the city."

All but four of those individuals named in the indictment had been arrested as of Thursday.

Lockhart commended the FBI, the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration, the Cincinnati Police Department and the Sharonville Police Department for their cooperation in the investigation.