14 people indicted in Waterloo heroin ring

CEDAR RAPIDS - A grand jury has charged 14 more people with participating in a conspiracy to distribute heroin in the Waterloo area, according to an indictment unsealed Wednesday in U.S. District Court.

Lusta Johnson, 57, Catherine Johnson, 54, Dominick Watts, 39, Conny Miles, 50, Leroy Baylor, 42, Bryant Olive, 54, Antoine Williams, 37, Barbara Brooks, 57, Raydell Talbert, 53, Frank Nelson, 44, Fred Olive, 56, Veronica Kelly, 57, and April Tillman, 46, all of Waterloo, and Mavia Walker, 45, of Chicago, have been charged with conspiracy to distribute heroin.

Other charges included in the indictment against some of the defendants include making a house available for drug storage and trafficking, distribution of heroin, possession of heroin with intent to distribute, and money laundering conspiracy, according to the indictment.

According to the  indictment, Lusta Johnson, Catherine Johnson, Watts, Miles, Baylor, Olive, Brooks, Talbert, Nelson, Olive, Walker, Kelly and Tillman were involved in a conspiracy to distribute at least 1,000 grams of heroin between January 2007 to last month. There are also individual drug-related offenses, including counts of heroin distribution, against Lusta Johnson, Catherine Johnson, Watts, Miles, and Baylor.  Some of the drug sales were made within 1,000 feet of schools or playgrounds in Waterloo.

If convicted on the conspiracy charge, each defendant faces 10 years to life in prison.

Miles, Baylor, Olive, Brooks, Talbert, Nelson, Olive, and Kelly appeared in court Wednesday and were detained.  Their detention hearing will be 2:30 p.m. Monday. Lusta Johnson, Catherine Johnson, Watts, Williams, Tillman and Walker remain fugitives.