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Big Oak defendant pleads not guilty to 16 felonies

LISBON — A brief arraignment hearing was held in Columbiana County Common Pleas Court on Monday for Allen Jackson, one of alleged leaders of the Down the Way drug gang indicted in October 2017. The indictment was known as Operation Big Oak and included about 100 defendants and 757 counts.

The 26-year-old Cleveland man, who is also known as Keith, appeared in custody before Judge C. Ashley Pike and entered a plead of not guilty to the indictment, which charges him with 16 felony counts.

Jackson was found last week in Cuyahoga County and appeared in custody briefly represented by defense attorney Christopher Weeda of the Criminal Defense League. Defense attorney Jennifer Gorby was appointed to handle the case in the future. Jackson is scheduled for a Nov. 26 final status hearing and a Dec. 11 jury trial.

His bond remains at $500,000 cash or surety.

Jackson is charged with engaging in a pattern of corrupt activity with specification, a first-degree felony; participating in a criminal gang, a second-degree felony; 10 counts of aggravated trafficking in drugs and four counts of trafficking in cocaine. Those charges allege selling of fentanyl, oxycodone and cocaine, including occasions during March and April of 2017 when Jackson is accused of selling large amounts of cocaine making those two charges first-degree felonies.

He is one of four Jackson brothers named in the indictment, who were alleged responsible for the gang’s activities which allegedly included bringing 1.4 million doses of drugs into Columbiana County from the Cleveland area.

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