A former Shenango Valley man has pleaded guilty to a federal drug charge, and a Farrell man appears willing to do the same.

Ramon Wright, 35, of Forest Park, Ohio, formerly of Farrell, Sharon and Slippery Rock, pleaded guilty Sept. 25 to one count of conspiracy to possess cocaine with intent to distribute and distribution of cocaine for his part in a scheme to bring the drug from California into Farrell.

Alex Martin, 39, of 809 Lee Ave., Farrell, has signed a pre-plea agreement allowing the Federal Probation Department to conduct a presentencing investigation. The results of the investigation will help him in plea negotiations, according to court documents.

A presentencing investigation is usually ordered after someone has pleaded guilty to a crime. The results of the query, which include criminal history and personal details, figure into the sentence.

Martin was to have a pretrial hearing today in preparation for his Nov. 18 trial, but the hearing is off and the trial date is unlikely to be kept, said a spokeswoman for U.S. District Court Judge Peter C. Economus, Youngstown.

A third man charged in the case, Roger Williams, 35, of Moreno Valley, Calif., pleaded guilty Sept. 11 to one count of conspiracy to possess cocaine with intent to distribute and distribution of cocaine.

Williams was a passenger in a sport utility vehicle stopped by Kansas state troopers April 10, according to the Drug Enforcement Agency.

A search of the SUV turned up nearly 10 kilograms -- about 21è pounds -- of cocaine. Williams said he had come from California and was taking the cocaine to Farrell for Martin, DEA said.

Williams agreed to proceed to the Youngstown area, where he was to contact Martin about how to dispose of the SUV. He was accompanied by four investigators.

Arriving in Youngstown, Williams called Martin, who was in California, and Martin told him to park the SUV in Martin's garage at 809 Lee Ave.

At the direction of investigators, Williams called back and said he had hit a deer, disabling the SUV. The story was only half a lie as the SUV had hit a deer in Missouri, causing some damage.

Martin contacted Wright, who was in Boardman, Ohio, and asked him to arrange for a tow truck to pick up the SUV, and then lead it to Martin's garage.

Wright was arrested in Boardman when he arrived at the motel where Williams said he was staying.

Wright also cooperated with investigators, and the SUV was towed to Farrell. Martin's home was searched three days later.

Wright and Williams could be sentenced to up to 10 years in prison, up to a $4 million fine and up to 5 years' supervised release, the federal equivalent of probation.

Wright's sentencing has been set for 10:30 a.m. Dec. 10, and Williams' for 1:30 p.m. Nov. 21.

As part of the plea agreement, prosecutors dropped a charge of attempting to possess cocaine with intent to distribute against Wright and charges of aiding and abetting and possession with intent to deliver cocaine against Williams.

Wright and Williams also agreed to cooperate with prosecutors as part of the plea.

In a letter to the judge requesting to drop his attorney, Martin also said he wants to reach a plea agreement with prosecutors.

The attorney, Ralph D. Karsh of Pittsburgh, later filed a brief with the court saying he and Martin had patched up their differences and he would continue to represent him.

Karsh said in the brief he also is pursuing a plea agreement for Martin.

You can e-mail Herald Staff Writer Joe Pinchot at

jpinchot@sharonherald.com