COLUMBUS — Klegewerges Abate, a member of the Third World Mob, was sentenced to 310 months in prison on Monday in the U.S. District Court for drug trafficking, firearms offenses, and wire fraud.
Abate, 36, from Columbus, was convicted by a jury in August 2024 after an 8-day trial. The jury found him guilty on all counts, including conspiring to traffic at least 1,000 kilograms of marijuana and wire fraud related to illegally obtaining COVID-19 pandemic relief funds.
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According to court documents and trial testimony, members of the Third World Mob transported hundreds of pounds of marijuana into Ohio from states like California and Georgia, using U-Haul trucks and rental cars. They utilized rental houses or properties owned under other names as stash houses to store drugs and cash.
In August 2019, Abate and others were found with a suitcase containing approximately $940,000 in cash at a house on Phlox Avenue in Blacklick. During a search in November 2022, law enforcement officials discovered Abate and two co-conspirators with over 700 kilograms of marijuana and three firearms at a residence on Chapel Stone Road in Blacklick.
The Third World Mob maintained control over its drug trafficking operations through violence and intimidation. Surveillance video presented at trial showed Abate, a convicted felon, shooting a man at a restaurant in Columbus. Jurors also heard testimony about various shootings and acts of intimidation.
Abate was also convicted of wire fraud for falsely applying for Pandemic Unemployment Assistance, claiming he was a self-employed landscaper while trafficking drugs. Since 2021, seven members of the Third World Mob have been charged federally.
Co-defendant Abubakarr Savage was sentenced to more than 15 years in prison in July 2025, while Menelik Solomon pleaded guilty in November 2023 and received a similar sentence.
The case was prosecuted by the U.S. Attorney’s Office with assistance from the FBI, DEA, and local police departments, highlighting the collaborative effort to dismantle the criminal organization.
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