AKRON, Ohio (AP) - A couple have received lengthy federal prison terms for their involvement in a scheme that authorities say brought large amounts of fentanyl and carfentanil from China for sale in northeast Ohio.
Donte Gibson, 41, got a 25-year sentence on Thursday, while his wife, Audrey, 36, received a 10-year sentence. The Akron couple were arrested in February 2018 and eventually pleaded guilty to drug and money laundering conspiracy charges.
The couple and people they worked with stashed their proceeds from the drug sales at homes and storage units and laundered money, including by creating companies and making lavish purchases, federal prosecutors have said. The Gibsons used the money they made to bankroll their expensive tastes.
Seven other defendants - including Donte Gibson’s daughter Dontaysha Gibson and Audrey Gibson’s mother, Lori Martin - have also pleaded guilty to various charges stemming from the case. Some received prison terms, while others got probation.
Prosecutors have said Donte and Audrey Gibson bought the synthetic opioids online and had them shipped to places around Akron and Canton. They also had co-defendants open post office boxes throughout northeast Ohio.
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