TOLEDO, Ohio (WLIO) — A Canadian man has been sentenced to federal prison after he was caught with 90 pounds of Ecstasy during a traffic stop in northwest Ohio.
Dontavius Forbes, 27, was sentenced to three years in federal prison in Toledo Federal Court on a charge of possession with intent to distribute.
According to court documents, Forbes was arrested in 2024 by U.S. Border Patrol agents near the Ohio Turnpike in Sandusky County. Agents discovered that the cargo area of the SUV he was driving had been modified, revealing two hidden compartments filled with Ecstasy.
Media release from the U.S. Attorney’s Office Northern Ohio District
Canadian National Sentenced to Prison After Being Caught With 90 Pounds of Ecstasy
TOLEDO, Ohio – A Canadian citizen has been sentenced to prison after admitting to having possession of 90 pounds of methylenedioxymethamphetamine (MDMA), or ecstasy, a Schedule I controlled substance that is typically used as a party drug and intended for distribution.
Dontavius Forbes, 27, was sentenced to 36 months in prison by U.S. District Judge Jeffrey J. Helmick after pleading guilty in June to possession with intent to distribute a controlled substance. Judge Helmick imposed the sentence Nov. 21. Forbes will be deported to Canada upon completion of his sentence.
According to court documents, on Aug. 7, 2024, a U.S. Border Patrol agent observed a compact sport utility vehicle with Canadian license plates parked in a service plaza parking lot near the interstate 80/90 Ohio turnpike in Sandusky County. After further investigation, the agent proceeded to have an encounter with Forbes who was the driver of the vehicle. During a consensual search of the SUV, agents observed what appeared to be modifications to a section of the cargo area. Agents discovered two hidden compartments packed with vacuum sealed packages of suspected illegal drugs. A field test of one of the packages tested positive for MDMA. Agents also seized nearly $3,000 in U.S. currency from the vehicle.
The remaining packages recovered from the vehicle were submitted to a forensic laboratory for analysis which confirmed the accuracy of the field test indicating the presence of MDMA.
This investigation was conducted by the U.S. Border Patrol-Sandusky Bay Station and the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA). Assistant United States Attorney Frank H. Spryszak prosecuted the case for the Northern District of Ohio.
About the Northern District of Ohio
The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Ohio covers the 40 northern-most counties in the state of Ohio, which is home to nearly six million people. The office operates from its main headquarters in Cleveland, with additional branches in Akron, Toledo, and Youngstown. The U.S. Attorney serves as the chief federal law enforcement officer in the District and oversees the prosecution of federal crimes and protects victims’ rights.
