COLUMBUS, Ohio (NewsNation Now) — A former Ohio police officer pleaded guilty to conspiring to traffic more than 8 kilograms of fentanyl — enough to kill more than one million people.
From June to September 2021, Marco R. Merino, 45, of Columbus, conspired with another police officer to traffic fentanyl. Merino distributed fentanyl at least three times and accepted $32,500 for approximately one of the kilograms of fentanyl.
He also pleaded guilty in federal court to accepting $45,000 worth of bribes in exchange for protecting the transport of at least 47 kilograms of cocaine from March to September 2021, the U.S. Department of Justice said.
However, unknown to Merino at the time, no cocaine existed in the transport deal, as federal agents orchestrated each transaction.
“Unlike the purported cocaine involved in transports, the fentanyl that Merino distributed was real,” U.S. Attorney Kenneth L. Parker said. “Merino swore an oath to serve and protect our community as a law enforcement officer, and instead he conspired to traffic enough fentanyl to kill well over one million people.”
Possession of 400 grams or more of fentanyl with an intent to distribute is punishable by 10 years and up to life in prison, and Federal Program Bribery is punishable by up to 10 years.
A little less than a month after federal agents arrested Merino in September, he resigned from his post at the Columbus Division of Police.
Charges against the second officer remain pending, the U.S. Department of Justice said.
