OHIO — Vernon Powell, 44, of Cincinnati, was sentenced today in U.S. District Court to 120 months in prison for committing new narcotics crimes while on supervised release.
According to court documents, investigators discovered that Powell mailed a kilogram of cocaine from Houston to Cincinnati in June 2023.
In October 2023, law enforcement executing search warrants at properties Powell used on Compton Road and Bassett Road found cocaine, fentanyl, multiple firearms, and more than $28,000 in cash.
At the time of these discoveries, Powell was already on supervised release for previous drug and firearm offenses that had led to a 15-year prison sentence.
In a notable twist, Powell had petitioned the court in September 2023 for early termination of his supervised release, arguing that the “barriers of supervision” were preventing him from excelling.
He later pleaded guilty in October 2024 to possessing with the intent to distribute both cocaine and fentanyl.
The sentencing was announced by Acting U.S. Attorney Kelly A. Norris, Hamilton County Sheriff Charmaine McGuffey, and other members of the Regional Enforcement Narcotics Unit, while U.S. District Judge Matthew W. McFarland presided over the case. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Ryan A. Keefe and Timothy D. Oakley represented the United States in this matter.
