YOUNGSTOWN, Ohio (WKBN) — One man was sentenced Thursday and two others pleaded guilty in federal court in a drug case where the defendants are charged with moving cocaine from Puerto Rico to Youngstown.

Additionally, a fourth defendant also entered guilty pleas earlier this week.

Sentenced Thursday to 78 months in prison by U. S. Judge Da Aaron Polster in the U.S. Northern District Court of Ohio was Erick Rosa-Martinez, no age or address was given.

Rosa-Martinez pleaded guilty May 2 to one count of possession with intent to distribute cocaine and use of a communication facility to facilitate drug trafficking.

Pleading guilty Thursday before Judge Polster was Jose Molina-Torres, no age given and Fransicso Rosado-Cordero, also no age given.

Both men pleaded guilty to possession with intent to distribute cocaine and use of a communication facility to facilitate drug trafficking. 

Both men will be sentenced Oct. 17.

They are among nine people accused of bringing in cocaine from Puerto Rico and selling it in the Youngstown area between April 2020 and December 2021. The nine were indicted June 23, 2022.

The indictment lists 33 separate telephone conversations between the members of the drug ring and a confidential source discussing drug transactions. It also details members mailing large amounts of cash, $82,000 in one case and $116,000 in another, to buy cocaine.

One of the defendants, John Pena-Vazquez, who pleaded guilty earlier this week, was bringing cocaine from Puerto Rico or getting it from Rosado-Cordero and Rosa-Martinez to sell in Youngstown.

A total of five defendants in the case have entered guilty pleas thus far.