AKRON, Ohio — Following Friday's arrest of 58-year-old Elias Gudino in connection to three Summit County murders, 3News has learned new details regarding the suspect's previous history.
3News confirmed that Gudino was convicted in 2010 of running a cocaine drug ring in Akron and spent seven years in federal prison between 2010-2017.
Gudino was charged after knowingly and intentionally possessing, with the intent to distribute, approximately 8 kilograms of cocaine throughout Akron.
Copley police announced on Saturday that Gudino had been arrested after three men were found "bound and gagged" with a gunshot wound to the head. Gudino is currently being charged with one count of aggravated murder and one count of attempted murder for the alleged incidents.
Officials believe the victims, who have not yet been identified, "likely [had] been kidnapped from outside this area and brought to Summit County," according to Copley Police Chief Michael Mier.
EDITOR'S NOTE: The video at the top of the story previously aired on 3News on March 11, 2023.
According to court records obtained by 3News, on Jan. 27, 2010, Gudino pleaded guilty to two counts and was sentenced on May 12, 2010.
A criminal complaint filed by the United States District Court for the Northern District of Ohio in Septmber 2009, shows that investigators conducted an extensive investigation into Gudino's drug trafficking organization.
Investigations revealed that Gudino was coordinating with several individuals in order to receive a shipment of cocaine, which he would redistribute across the Akron area.
The complaint also noted that Gudino had been involved in drug trafficking since the 1990s, and the ring ran throughout Ohio, Colorado, Michigan, Illinois and Oklahoma.
Previously, Gudino was also arrested in 2003 and convicted in Akron for a felony offense of non-support of dependents.
The full criminal complaint can be viewed below: