Arrested Jesus Ruiz; his accused supplier, Pedro Mota; and two local men who prosecutors say were on the receiving end of the drug deal.
Agents seized $1.09 million in cash and the cocaine, which has a street value of $7 million.
Ruiz folded immediately, co-operating with authorities to help catch his alleged co-conspirators.
He led agents to Erick Clisby, 39, of Forest Park, and his cousin Cornell Clisby, 40, of Springdale. All three face charges of trafficking in cocaine, possessing cocaine and conspiracy.
Agents also nabbed accused supplier Mota, 28, of Texas, who is awaiting trial on the same charges.
Erick Clisby's trial started Monday. He faces up to 40 years in prison.
His lawyer, Richard Goldberg, told the jury Wednesday his client was a victim of circumstances and was not guilty because Cornell Clisby was the drug runner, not his client.
Ruiz, his hands cuffed in front of him, told the jury what happened in a December drug transaction and what was about to go down when he was caught.
Ruiz said he made his first drug run to Cincinnati in December 2006, meeting the Clisbys at a superstore, then following them to Erick Clisby's Forest Park auto body shop, where he turned the drugs over to Erick Clisby.
Ruiz didn't get caught and might have stopped, except Mota double-crossed him, he said.
He said if Ruiz wanted cash, he had to make another drug run to Cincinnati, Ruiz testified.
"I really didn't want to because he didn't pay me the first time," Ruiz said. "He was like, 'Come on, come on.' I was already out of options. The bank was going to repossess my truck."
The cocaine was mashed into bricks, wrapped in plastic and tucked into two black duffle bags when Ruiz pulled out of Laredo, Texas, on his way to Cincinnati in mid-January 2007.
Just like the first time, when Ruiz got close to the city he called a cell phone number provided by Mota, he said. Prosecutors said Cornell Clisby was on the other end of the phone.
Early on the morning of Jan. 15, Ruiz was exhausted from the long trip through an ice and snow storm that was so bad roads were closed. He pulled into a western Hamilton County truck stop.
Ruiz said he nodded off immediately, only to be awakened about 10 a.m. by RENU agent Timothy Nash, who was doing a routine check of the county's only truck stop on his way into work.
"I was thinking, 'What did I do to deserve a search?' " Ruiz said. "I guess it was just how the truck looked. To this day, it's still mind-boggling why he came up to me."
Trying to stay calm, Ruiz granted Nash permission to search the truck.
"I was trying to keep cool, play it off," Ruiz said. "I didn't think he was going to go in the cab."
But Nash did. He found the cocaine right away.
"I felt empty," Ruiz said. "My body was like, my life is over."
Ruiz said he just put his hands behind his back and let the agent handcuff him.
"They wanted to know where I was going," he said. "I knew I was already in a big hole. The only way they would help me out was to co-operate.
"I did what I thought would be the right choice for myself," he said.
Agents seized $1.09 million in cash and the cocaine, which has a street value of $7 million.
Ruiz folded immediately, co-operating with authorities to help catch his alleged co-conspirators.
He led agents to Erick Clisby, 39, of Forest Park, and his cousin Cornell Clisby, 40, of Springdale. All three face charges of trafficking in cocaine, possessing cocaine and conspiracy.
Agents also nabbed accused supplier Mota, 28, of Texas, who is awaiting trial on the same charges.
Erick Clisby's trial started Monday. He faces up to 40 years in prison.
His lawyer, Richard Goldberg, told the jury Wednesday his client was a victim of circumstances and was not guilty because Cornell Clisby was the drug runner, not his client.
Ruiz, his hands cuffed in front of him, told the jury what happened in a December drug transaction and what was about to go down when he was caught.
Ruiz said he made his first drug run to Cincinnati in December 2006, meeting the Clisbys at a superstore, then following them to Erick Clisby's Forest Park auto body shop, where he turned the drugs over to Erick Clisby.
Ruiz didn't get caught and might have stopped, except Mota double-crossed him, he said.
He said if Ruiz wanted cash, he had to make another drug run to Cincinnati, Ruiz testified.
"I really didn't want to because he didn't pay me the first time," Ruiz said. "He was like, 'Come on, come on.' I was already out of options. The bank was going to repossess my truck."
The cocaine was mashed into bricks, wrapped in plastic and tucked into two black duffle bags when Ruiz pulled out of Laredo, Texas, on his way to Cincinnati in mid-January 2007.
Just like the first time, when Ruiz got close to the city he called a cell phone number provided by Mota, he said. Prosecutors said Cornell Clisby was on the other end of the phone.
Early on the morning of Jan. 15, Ruiz was exhausted from the long trip through an ice and snow storm that was so bad roads were closed. He pulled into a western Hamilton County truck stop.
Ruiz said he nodded off immediately, only to be awakened about 10 a.m. by RENU agent Timothy Nash, who was doing a routine check of the county's only truck stop on his way into work.
"I was thinking, 'What did I do to deserve a search?' " Ruiz said. "I guess it was just how the truck looked. To this day, it's still mind-boggling why he came up to me."
Trying to stay calm, Ruiz granted Nash permission to search the truck.
"I was trying to keep cool, play it off," Ruiz said. "I didn't think he was going to go in the cab."
But Nash did. He found the cocaine right away.
"I felt empty," Ruiz said. "My body was like, my life is over."
Ruiz said he just put his hands behind his back and let the agent handcuff him.
"They wanted to know where I was going," he said. "I knew I was already in a big hole. The only way they would help me out was to co-operate.
"I did what I thought would be the right choice for myself," he said.
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