Let's Talk Cincy: An exclusive interview with Southern Ohio District U.S. Attorney Kenneth Parker

THIS IS LET'S TALK CINCY PRESENT BY WESTERN AND SOUTHERN FINANCIAL GROUP. PUT OUR FINANCIAL STRENGTH BEHIND YOU. HELLO, EVERYONE. I'M CURTIS FULLER AND WELCOME TO LET'S TALK CINCY TODAY, A SPECIAL INTERVIEW WITH THE U.S. ATTORNEY FOR THE SOUTHERN DISTRICT OF OHIO. THAT'S KENNETH PARKER. HE WAS NAMED THE U.S. ATTORNEY BACK IN 2021, APPOINTED BY PRESIDENT JOE BIDEN AND AND FIRST OF ALL, WELCOME TO THE PROGRAM. THANKS FOR HAVING ME. THIS IS RARE THAT YOU SIT DOWN AND HAVE THESE TYPE OF CONVERSATIONS, BUT LET'S START BECAUSE YOU ARE A NATIVE CINCINNATI, CORRECT. TALK A LITTLE BIT ABOUT COMING UP IN CINCINNATI AND SCHOOL AND WHAT MADE YOU WANT TO GET INTO LAW. RIGHT. SO I LOVE THE CITY. UM, BORN, LIKE YOU SAID, BORN AND RAISED HERE, WENT TO WAYNE HILLS HIGH SCHOOL, UH, GREW UP IN EAST WALNUT HILLS, EVANSTON, AND, AND I MADE THE DECISION THAT I WOULD LIKE TO BECOME AN ATTORNEY. UH, 10TH GRADE AND, UM, YOU KNOW, I NEVER, UH, WANTED TO PRACTICE IN CRIMINAL LAW. I WANTED TO GO INTO LABOR LAW. UM, YOU KNOW, CRIMINAL LAW IS DIDN'T FASCINATE ME AT THE TIME. IT WAS SOMETHING YOU SAW ON TV, BUT I FELT I WAS GOING IN A DIFFERENT DIRECTION. I WENT AWAY TO SCHOOL. TUSKEGEE UNIVERSITY, THE INDIANA UNIVERSITY SCHOOL OF LAW CAME BACK HERE TO DO A FEDERAL CLERKSHIP. AND AND WAS HIRED ON BY SHARON ZEALEY. OH, YEAH. AND, UM, SHARON, UH, SHE SHE SHE SHE HOOKED ME BY SAYING, I CAN GET YOU IN COURT BECAUSE AT THE TIME, GOING TO A LAW FIRM WOULD TAKE A WHILE BEFORE YOU WERE IN COURT. AND SHARON KNEW I WANTED TO GO IN TO DO A TRIAL WORK. AND I SAID, WELL, HOW SOON CAN YOU GET ME IN COURT? SHE SAID, I CAN GET YOU IN COURT. AND A WEEK. AND IT TURNS OUT WHEN SHE HIRED ME ON, I WAS IN COURT THE SECOND DAY. UM, AND I'VE BEEN THERE EVER SINCE 25 YEARS BECAUSE. BECAUSE YOU MAKE A DIFFERENCE. I THINK PEOPLE LOOK AT LAW ENFORCEMENT AND PROSECUTORS AND BELIEVE THAT THE GOAL OF THE PROSECUTOR IS TO PUT PEOPLE IN JAIL, AND THAT'S NOT TRUE. THE GOAL OF THE PROSECUTOR IS TO BE A GATEKEEPER, TO ENSURE THAT PERSON'S RIGHTS ARE UPHELD. AND TO ENSURE THAT PERSONS ARE HELD ACCOUNTABLE FOR THE THINGS THAT THEY DO. SO YOU'RE PROTECTING THE COMMUNITY. UM, YOU GO TO SLEEP EVERY NIGHT KNOWING THAT YOU'VE DONE SOMETHING, THAT YOU REALLY MOVE THE NEEDLE, THAT YOU YOU'VE HELPED YOUR COMMUNITY. SO IF I LOVE CINCINNATI, I SAID, YOU KNOW, UM, WHAT BETTER WAY TO GIVE BACK TO MY COMMUNITY THAN TO BE A PUBLIC SERVANT? AND, UH, AND WORK FOR THIS COMMUNITY? LIKE I SAID, I GAVE TO SHARE. A TWO YEAR COMMITMENT. I DID. I GAVE SHARON A TWO YEAR COMMITMENT. AND LIKE I SAID, 25 YEARS LATER, I'M STILL HERE. AND AS U.S. ATTORNEY AND AND DOING MY BEST TO PROTECT THIS COMMUNITY, I WOULD IMAGINE, UM, HAVE THE OPPORTUNITY TO MEET MEET NOT ONLY SHARON, BUT ALSO OUR OUR DEAR FRIEND, THE LATE NATHANIEL R JONES. UM, JUDGE JONES, YOU KNOW, WHEN YOU THINK OF THE LAW, HE EPITOMIZES THAT. TELL ME ABOUT YOUR RELATIONSHIP WITH HIM. JUDGE JONES IS IS A GIANT, UM, WILL ALWAYS BE A GIANT. UM, EVEN THOUGH HE'S PASSED, UH, MY RELATIONSHIP WITH HIM WAS ONE IN WHICH THE QUESTION IS POSED, WAS POSED TO ME IS, HOW ARE YOU GOING TO ANSWER THE CALL? AND FOR HIM ANSWERING THE CALL MEANT TO GIVE BACK, TO UNDERSTAND, UH, THAT PERSON'S VARIOUS PERSONS, UH, HAD OF ISSUES AND TO GET DRILL DOWN AND GET TO UNDERSTAND AND, UH, YOU KNOW, EACH AND EVERY CASE AND THE DEFENDANTS AS WELL AS THE VICTIMS AND WHAT IS GOING ON TO TRY TO EMPATHIZE WITH, WITH WHAT IS GOING ON, WHAT WAS GOING ON WITH THOSE PERSONS TO REACH A JUST VERDICT? UH, NOT JUST BE SOMEONE WHO CAME IN EVERY DAY. AND IT WAS LIKE, CASES ARE LIKE WIDGETS JUST PASSING ALONG AN ASSEMBLY LINE. NO JUDGE JONES SAID. NO. LOOK AT THE CASE. UNDERSTAND THE PERSONS IN THE THE CASE. ENSURE THAT THE VICTIM IS RECEIVE SERVICES THAT THEY SHOULD RECEIVE. UH, I WORK FOR JUDGE SPIEGEL, WHO WAS A GOOD FRIEND. ANOTHER JUDGE JONES. CORRECT? YEAH. UH, VERY GOOD FRIEND OF JUDGE JONES AND YOU KNOW, FOR BOTH OF THOSE MEN, UH, THEY THERE IS A BOOK CALLED PLACE OF RECOURSE AND THEIR ATTITUDE WAS TO MAKE SURE THAT ALEXANDER'S BOOK, PLACE OF RECOURSE WAS, WAS ACTUALLY A REALITY FOR PERSONS WHO CAME INTO THE FEDERAL COURT SYSTEM, INTO THE INTO THE COURTHOUSES. I SHOULD HAVE SAID JUDGE JONES, A FEDERAL JUDGE APPOINTED BY JIMMY CARTER BACK IN 1979. IF I'M NOT MISTAKEN, PASSED AWAY JUST A COUPLE OF YEARS AGO. SO IN HIS 90S, A BRILLIANT, BRILLIANT MAN. ALL RIGHT. WE'RE GOING TO TAKE A BREAK AND THEN WE'LL COME BACK AND WE'LL WE'VE GOT A WHOLE LOT TO TALK ABOUT. OKAY. YEAH. ALL RIGHT. WE'LL BE BACK IN A MOMENT. WELCOME BACK EVERYONE. WELCOME BACK EVERYONE. I'M HERE WITH US. ATTORNEY KENNETH PARKER. HE IS THE US ATTORNEY FOR THE SOUTHERN DISTRICT OF OHIO. YOU TALKED A LITTLE BIT ABOUT, UM, YOUR OFFICE TALK ABOUT PRIORITIES OF THE OFFICE. EXPLAIN WHAT THE OFFICE DOES. RIGHT. SO THE UNITED STATES ATTORNEY'S OFFICE, WE REPRESENT 48 COUNTIES IN THE SOUTHERN PART OF OHIO. SO IF YOU DREW A LINE, A HORIZONTAL LINE JUST ABOVE COLUMBUS, MORROW COUNTY, ACROSS THE STATE, ALL 40, 48 OF THOSE 88 COUNTIES. SO WE HAVE 48 ARE WITHIN OUR DISTRICT, ROUGHLY 5.1 MILLION PEOPLE. UH, THEY ALL HAVE, OF COURSE, DIFFERENT ISSUES, DIFFERENT PLACES. BUT AS THE ATTORNEY GENERAL, GARLAND SETS FORTH, YOU KNOW, UPHOLD THE LAW, YOU KNOW, PROTECT AMERICANS FROM ANY ENEMIES, FOREIGN AND DOMESTIC, AS WELL AS PROTECT CIVIL RIGHTS. SO THAT'S MARCHING ORDERS THAT I HAVE THAT MY OFFICE HAS. AND LOOKING AT OUR PARTICULAR DISTRICT LIKE A NUMBER OF OTHERS, NARCOTICS, FENTANYL IS STILL A SCOURGE HERE. UM, SO A PRIORITY IS TO DEAL WITH THE NARCOTICS THAT ARE THAT ARE THREATENING OUR DISTRICT. COCAINE, METHAMPHETAMINE, THE ANALOGS WE EVEN HAVE OTHER DRUGS COMING ON THE SCENE. XYLAZINE, WHICH IS BEING MIXED AT THE FENTANYL. UH, ISSUE INVOLVES, UH, YOU KNOW, COUNTERFEIT PILLS. AS THE YOUTH POSSIBLY USING THESE PILLS, THINKING THEY'RE USING OTHER THINGS AND THUS LEADING US TO THE OVERDOSE ISSUES THAT WE'RE FACING, NOT JUST IN YOUTH, BUT IN ADULTS. SO WE SPEND A LOT OF TIME DEALING WITH THE NARCOTICS ISSUES. UH, THAT BEING SAID, WITH NARCOTICS, FIREARMS. SO WE WANT TO ADDRESS ANY, ANY MATT FEARS REGARDING FIREARMS. UH, THERE'S A NUMBER OF FACTORS WHERE PERSONS ARE PROHIBITED, UH, FELONS IN POSSESSION WILL BE PROSECUTED. SO WE'RE DEALING WITH THAT AS WELL. AND WE'RE STRAW PURCHASING. UM, IS SOMETHING I WANT TO MAKE SURE WE ADDRESS. UH, BUT WITH FIREARMS. COME GLOCK SWITCHES AND SWITCHES, WHICH ARE MORE FLAT. THEY LAY UP AGAINST THE FIREARMS. I MADE SURE THAT OUR OFFICE ASSESSES ALL OF THOSE CASES WORKING WITH THE ATF, THE FBI, CI, AND OUR C6. WE HAVE C6, CJIC THE CRIME GUN INTELLIGENCE CENTERS WHERE WE ARE LOOKING AT, UH, YOU KNOW, TRACING THESE FIREARMS THROUGH NIBIN AND THEIR USE IN OTHER WAYS TO MAKE SURE THAT THOSE VIOLENT PERSONS ARE OFF THE STREET. UM, YEAH. AS AS I LISTEN TO YOU, I'M THINKING THIS REMINDS ME SO MUCH OF ABOUT 40 YEARS AGO. BELIEVE IT OR NOT, WHEN CRACK COCAINE. RIGHT, WAS COMING ON THE SCENE, I WAS IN FLORIDA AND AND, UM, INTERSTATE 95 WAS WHAT WAS BEING MONITORED, RIGHT? I WOULD IMAGINE WITH INTERSTATE 75. YES. GOING FROM FLORIDA ALL THE WAY UP TO CANADA, THAT'S, UH, YES, A MAJOR FOCUS AS WELL. ABSOLUTELY. SO AT ONE TIME, UM, YOU MAY HAVE SEEN OTHER CITIES AS SOURCE CITIES LIKE CHICAGO, NEW YORK, MIAMI, YOU KNOW, SOURCE IT INTO, UH, CITIES LIKE CINCINNATI OR DAYTON. AND YOU HAVE TO GO, YOU KNOW, MAYBE FROM CHICAGO TO INDIANA TO CINCINNATI. NOW, UH, SOURCE CITIES ARE SOME OF OUR SMALLER CITIES THAT ARE, YOU KNOW, SOURCING SOME OTHER PLACES. SO, YES, THESE INTERSTATES, YOU'VE GOT 75, UH, THEN YOU HAVE 71, WHICH MAKES CINCINNATI AN IDEAL LOCATION. BUT THEN WE YOU KNOW, WHEN I TALK ABOUT THE ISSUES OF VIOLENCE, IT BLEEDS INTO OTHER AREAS WITH THE FIREARMS IN THE SENSE OF POSTAL ROBBERIES, THE POSTAL CARRIER ROBBERIES. WHEN YOU LOOK AT THIS, HERE'S A PERSON, YOU KNOW, WHEN I WAS YOUNG, MALE CARRIERS WERE THE NEIGHBORHOOD FRIEND. YOU KNOW, EVERYONE IN, UH, WHO COULD HATE A MAIL CARRIER, WHO COULD, WOULD EVER WANT TO BRING ANY TYPE OF HARM TO A POSTAL CARRIER. BUT NOW YOU HAVE INDIVIDUALS THAT THAT, UH, FOR FEEL IT'S OKAY TO ROB THEM OF A OF A KEY. AN ARROW KEY TO BREAK INTO A POST BOX. BUT WHAT THEY DON'T UNDERSTAND IS YOU, WHEN YOU BREAK INTO THAT POST BOX, AND WHAT THE COMMUNITY HAS TO UNDERSTAND IS YOU'RE TAKING INDIVIDUAL'S MOST INTIMATE INFORMATION AND PUTTING LIVES IN DANGER. YOU MAY BE TAKING PERSON'S MEDICINE OR OR PRESCRIPTION INFORMATION. SO SOMEONE'S GRANDMOTHER OR FAMILY MEMBER WHO NEEDS THAT MEDICAL INFORMATION DOESN'T KNOW IS EITHER COMING, OR THEY MAY HAVE SENT SOMETHING OUT TO THEIR DOCTORS THAT DOESN'T GET THERE. YOU'RE TAKING THEIR CREDIT CARD INFORMATION. YOU COULD BE TAKING, UH, SCHOOL INFORMATION. THINGS LIKE THAT. BUT IT'S A THREAT TO OUR DEMOCRACY BECAUSE WE HAVE ABSENTEE BALLOTING. AND SO IF INDIVIDUALS BREAK INTO A POST BOX, TAKE THIS INFORMATION, THROW IT AWAY, TAKE WHAT THEY WANT, STEAL CREDIT CARD STUFF, THROW OTHER THINGS AWAY. BUT A PERSON HAS SOUGHT TO VOTE THROUGH THE MAIL. SO NOW YOU'RE AFFECTING OUR ELECTION. AND THAT'S WHAT THE COMMUNITY HAS TO UNDERSTAND THAT AS WE SAY, SEE SOMETHING, SAY SOMETHING. UH, THOSE PERSONS WHO FEEL THEY WANT TO ENGAGE IN THAT IS JUST AS MUCH AS A THREAT TO OUR DEMOCRACY AS A PERSON WHO WALKS INTO AN ELECTION PLACE AND TAKES PACKAGES. SO WE HAVE TO DEAL WITH THEM, TOO. AND THEY'RE DEALING WITH VIOLENCE. SO, UH, WE WANT TO PROSECUTE THOSE PERSONS. UM, YOU KNOW, THERE'S NO TOLERANCE FOR THAT. UH, INDIVIDUALS MAY WANT TO SAY AFTERWARDS, I'M SORRY. SORRY DOESN'T COUNT. UM, WE WILL HOLD YOU ACCOUNTABLE, AND WE'RE GOING TO LOOK TO ENSURE THAT INDIVIDUALS IN THAT ACCOUNTABILITY RECEIVE IMPRISONMENT. WELL, WE'RE GOING TO TAKE ANOTHER BREAK AND THEN COME BACK AND TALK ABOUT A FEW MORE CASES BACK IN A MOMENT. WELCOME BACK. WELCOME BACK. JUST A FASCINATING CONVERSATION WITH KENNETH PARKER, THE US ATTORNEY FOR THE SOUTHERN DISTRICT OF OHIO. UM, WE WERE TALKING ABOUT THE POSTAL WORKERS. BUT I ALSO WANT TO TALK ABOUT SCAMS FOR SENIOR CITIZENS. IT SEEMS LIKE I MEAN, IT'S ALWAYS EXISTED IN SOME FORM, BUT IT REALLY APPEARS THAT IT IS RUNNING RAMPANT THESE DAYS WHERE WHERE THEY'RE PUT IN HARM'S WAY. YES. TALK A LITTLE BIT ABOUT THAT. SO I CALLED HIM OUR SEASON CITIZENS. UH, SO WHEN I USE THAT TERM, IT'S SYNONYMOUS WITH ELDERLY OR SENIOR, BUT I CALL THEM SEASONED CITIZENS. UM, 1 IN 10. UH, OF THOSE INDIVIDUALS WILL FIND THEMSELVES SCAMMED EVERY YEAR. UM, ROMANCE SCAMS, THINGS WHERE PEOPLE WILL CALL AND THEY, THEY, YOU KNOW, PREY ON THEIR LONELINESS AND THEY GET THEM TO SEND MONEY, UH, TELL THEM THEY NEED THEM TO PAY, YOU KNOW, TO GET THEM OUT OF JAIL OR OR I JUST NEED MONEY FOR MEDICAL THINGS. AND THAT THAT LONELINESS HAS ITS PLACE, AND PEOPLE WILL WORK THAT, UM, YOU KNOW, THEY EVEN TRY TO GET THEM TO SEND PROPERTY. THEY TAKE THEIR LIFE SAVINGS IF THEY CAN. UM, AND IT'S $1 BILLION INDUSTRY WHERE INDIVIDUALS ARE DOING THIS, YOU KNOW, THE DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE, WE BROUGHT IN 20,000 LAST YEAR, LIKE 650 CASES, NO, 300 CASES AGAINST 650 INDIVIDUALS, UH, INVOLVED IN THIS IN MY OFFICE IS NO DIFFERENT. WE BROUGHT, YOU KNOW, WE BROUGHT DOZENS OF CASES OF INDIVIDUALS. UH, ONE PERSON WHO PRETENDED HE WAS A NIGERIAN PRINCE AND AND PREYED ON A ON ONE OF OUR OUR SEASON CITIZENS. UM, YOU KNOW, THAT'S A HEARTLESS THING TO DO. HEARTLESS. UM, WE WE PROSECUTE THESE PEOPLE. UM, EVEN A LAWYER. THERE WAS A LAWYER IN BELMONT COUNTY WHO WHO, UH, TOOK ADVANTAGE THROUGH FRAUD TO GET, UH, SOME OF OUR, OUR CITIZENS TO TURN OVER PROPERTY TO HIM. SO I ASKED PEOPLE TO TO CHECK ON THEIR FAMILY MEMBERS, YOU KNOW, AND EVEN START BEFORE THEY GET OF AGE, MAKE SURE THEY HAVE A WILL. THEY HAVE A PLAN IN PLACE, MAKE SURE POWER OF ATTORNEYS ARE IN PLACE. UM, REALLY CHECK ON THEM. UM, YOU SEE ALL THESE TELEMARKETER CALLS? I'M SURE YOU GET THEM. I GET THEM ALL THE TIME. YEAH. UM, AND THEY'RE COMING EVEN MORE TO INDIVIDUALS. THEY, YOU KNOW, ALL OF THEM ARE NOT GOOD. SO THEY'RE TRYING TO HOOK PERSONS, UM, YOU KNOW, CHECK ON THEIR PURCHASING IF YOU SEE SOMEONE WHO WHO IS, UH, UH, ONE OF YOUR ELDERS, AND THEY ARE MAKING SOME STRANGE PURCHASES, OR THEY'RE NEEDING TO GO TO THE ATM TO GET MONEY OUT, UM, REALLY? SEE, YOU SEE THE RED FLAGS, YOU KNOW, REALLY GUARD AGAINST THAT? AN EYE ISN'T GOING TO MAKE IT ANY. YEAH, I YEAH, I, I IS NOT GOING TO GOING TO MAKE. WELL I WILL BE USED BY THOSE WHO WANT TO CAUSE HARM UH TO REALLY UM DO THAT AGAINST, AGAINST OUR SENIORS AND MY OFFICE. OUR ATTITUDE IS AND OUR GUIDELINES IS WE'RE GOING TO BE SEEKING STIFFER PENALTIES FOR PERSONS WHO USE AI IN ANY FORM OR FASHION, IN ANY OFFENSE. AND I WANT THAT TO BE DONE. IF YOU USE AI IN ANYTHING, I DON'T CARE IF IT'S DRUG TRAFFICKING. WE'RE GOING TO BE ASKING FOR EVEN AGGRAVATED SENTENCES IN THAT REGARD. MM. IS IS YOUR JOB COMPOUNDED BY THE SOCIAL MEDIA? ONE IT IN A POSITIVE WAY. YOU CAN GET INFORMATION OUT ABOUT FRAUD SCHEMES SO PEOPLE CAN CAN BE PROTECTED AND UH BUT IT HAS ITS NEGATIVE ASPECTS AS WELL, ESPECIALLY IN CHILD EXPLOITATION CASES. YOU KNOW, YEARS AGO, UM, AGAIN, WE GO BACK TO WHEN WE WERE GROWING UP, YOU HAD TO WORRY ABOUT CHILDREN OUTSIDE AND SOMEONE TRYING TO TAKE ADVANTAGE OF THEM IN A PARK. THAT'S WHERE THE MOLESTERS WERE OR ON THE STREETS OR, YOU KNOW, YOU HAD TO BE OUT FOR IT TO HAPPEN WITH. WITH THE ADVENT OF THE COMPUTER AND SOCIAL MEDIA, THAT CHILD PREDATOR COULD BE RIGHT THERE IN YOUR HOME. AND THE CHILD'S ROOM THROUGH THAT PHONE CALL. UM, TAKE NOTHING FOR GRANTED. TALK TO THEIR KIDS, MAKE SURE THEIR KIDS CAN ARE CAN OPENLY TALK TO THEM. UH, DON'T EMBARRASS THEIR KIDS ABOUT WHO THEY'RE SPEAKING WITH. UM, BECAUSE THEY'LL FIND OUT THINGS. IF KIDS ARE PLAYING GAMES, LIKE, YOU KNOW, A LOT OF KIDS LIKE TO JUST PLAY GAMES ON THEIR ON THEIR COMPUTER, ROBLOX AND ALL THESE OTHER GAMES. UH, BE PARENTS NEED TO UNDERSTAND THE PREDATORS. UH, SOME OF THEM ARE GROOMERS. THEY WILL, UH, WE DEALT WITH THE INDIVIDUAL. I HAD A CASE WHERE AN INDIVIDUAL TOOK ABOUT A YEAR AND A HALF TO GROOM THE KID AND THE PARENT A YEAR AND A HALF SLOWLY WORKED TO TRY TO GROOM, UH, TO GET THEM WHERE THEY WANTED THEM TO. SO IT DOESN'T HAVE TO BE. OH, YOU KNOW, WHEN WE WERE GROWING UP. WHAT'S THAT? YOU WANT SOME CANDY? NO, IT CAN BE THAT SUBTLE. THE KID IS PLAYING A GAME. SOMEBODY COMES ON THE GAME. LET ME GET A LAST BREAK IN HERE. I'M SORRY TO INTERRUPT YOU, BUT I WANT. I WANT TO GET THIS BREAK IN, AND THEN WE'LL COME BACK FOR OUR FINAL SEGMENT. BACK IN THE MOMENT. I WAS TELLING AN ATTORNEY, I WAS TELLING AN ATTORNEY, PARKER, THAT WE NEED A COUPLE OF HOURS TO REALLY TALK ABOUT ALL THE ISSUES. UM, SO MUCH, SO MUCH GOING ON. I MEAN, WE HAVE ORGANIZED CRIME TALK. JUST TOUCH ON THAT BRIEFLY. BUT THEN I ALSO WANT TO TALK ABOUT, UH, IN THE THREE MINUTES OR SO THAT WE HAVE LEFT. YEAH. UM, THE, UH, OPPORTUNITIES FOR FOLKS, VICTIMS RIGHTS PROGRAMS OUT THERE. YEAH. SO LET ME BE CLEAR. AS FAR AS, UH, THE DRUG CARTELS, UM, THEY WANT TO BRING US HARM. UH, NOTHING ANY DIFFERENT. ANY ANY GROUP THAT OPERATES WITH A DRUG CARTEL, LOCAL OR REGIONAL OR NATIONAL WOULD LIKE TO BRING THIS COUNTRY HARM. WHEN I TALK ABOUT THE DRUG CARTELS, I'M TALKING ABOUT, UH, A NUMBER THAT ARE IN MEXICO, THE CJNG GANG, UH, THE SINALOA CARTEL, UH, THE CARTELS OPERATING IN COLOMBIA, UH, THE COUNTRY OF COLOMBIA, UM, THEY ARE LOOKING TO BRING US HARM. MY ATTITUDE IS, YES, I'M KEENLY AWARE THAT DRUGS ARE NOT MADE IN THIS ON THE STREETS OF CINCINNATI. THAT'S WHY WE'RE WE ARE INCREASING OUR EXTRADITIONS OF PERSONS OUT OF COLOMBIA. THAT'S WHY I WENT TO COLOMBIA RECENTLY TO SPEAK WITH THE LAW ENFORCEMENT DOWN THERE. AND TO WORK TO EXTRADITE SOME CARTEL MEMBERS TO SERVE TIME HERE. UH, THERE ARE OTHER ORGANIZED CRIME GROUPS HERE WHO DEAL WITH OTHER THINGS LIKE FIREARMS AND MOVE FIREARMS THAT ARE AMERICAN, AMERICAN GROUPS, ORGANIZED GROUPS. AND WE WANT TO PROSECUTE THEM AS WELL. I CAME INTO THE UNITED STATES ATTORNEY'S OFFICE AND THE ORGANIZED CRIME DRUG ENFORCEMENT TASK FORCE IS CALLED OCDETF. AND THAT'S WHERE MY CAREER, I CUT MY TEETH THERE AND, AND, UH, HAVE BEEN DOING IT EVER SINCE. UH, SO, YOU KNOW, INDIVIDUALS THAT WANT TO FLOOD OUR STREETS WITH POISON FENTANYL, UH, FENTANYL ANALOGS, COCAINE, EVEN MARIJUANA STILL ILLEGAL ON THE FEDERAL LEVEL. UH, WE'RE GOING TO PROSECUTE THOSE PERSONS, UH, THAT AND WHEN I SAY DRUG TRAFFICKING ORGANIZATIONS, PEOPLE OFTEN THINK THAT'S WHERE WE'RE WE WE HAVE TO GET INTO THESE GROUPS. NO, WE WILL GET INTO THESE GROUPS THROUGH THE MONEY LAUNDERING ASPECT, BECAUSE, YOU KNOW, A LOT OF THE MONEY, UH, IT'S A LOT OF MONEY. AND THEY WANT TO MOVE THIS MONEY. AND SO WE WILL GET INTO THE GROUPS BY FOLLOWING THAT MONEY TO THEN GO INTO THE DRUG, THE DRUG TRAFFICKING SIDE AND THE ADVOCACY. SEE, THAT YOU HAVE FOR CITIES, PERSONS, PEOPLE WHO NEED HELP, THEY CAN REACH OUT TO YOU. ABSOLUTELY, ABSOLUTELY. UM, I BELIEVE IN OUTREACH, BUT EVEN BEFORE OUTREACH, EVERY I SHOULDN'T SAY EVERY CASE, A NUMBER OF CASES INVOLVE VICTIMS, NOT JUST THE COMMUNITY. I SAY EVERY CASE INVOLVES A VICTIM IF IT'S THE COMMUNITY, BUT YOU HAVE CASES WHERE THERE ARE VICTIMS AND THEY HAVE RIGHTS UNDER THE CRIME VICTIMS RIGHTS ACT, UNDER THE VICTIMS RIGHTS AND RESTITUTION ACT, THEY HAVE SERVICES THEY CAN RECEIVE. THIS YEAR, WE ENGAGED AS EVERY YEAR AND NATIONAL CRIME VICTIMS RIGHTS WEEK, WHERE I GO OUT AND SPEAK TO THE COMMUNITY. I CONNECT WITH INDIVIDUALS IN OUR COMMUNITY LIKE HOPE, DUDLEY AND OTHERS WHO ARE, YOU KNOW, AND I CAN'T SAY ENOUGH ABOUT HOPE AND OTHER PERSONS LIKE HER MUCH. MORSE, WHO ARE ON THE FRONT LINES OF TRYING TO ADDRESS PROBLEMS IN THE CINCINNATI COMMUNITY AND AND TRYING TO ENSURE VICTIMS RECEIVE THE SERVICES THAT THEY SHOULD RECEIVE. SO THEY CAN REACH OUT TO OUR OFFICE. BUT THERE ARE ALSO THOSE ADVOCATES OUT THERE THAT KNOW HOW TO GET IN TOUCH WITH US. YEAH, WELL THANK YOU. THANK YOU. THIS HAS BEEN A FASCINATING CONVERSATION. ALLEN NOT ENOUGH TIME. WE'LL HAVE TO HAVE YOU BACK SOON. THANK YOU. WELL, THAT DOES IT FOR THIS EDITION OF LET'S TALK CINCY. THANKS FOR JOINING US. I'M CURTIS FULLER. SEE YOU NEXT TIME FOR ANOTHER EDITION OF LET'S TALK CINCY.