Vernon Powell, a 44-year-old resident of Cincinnati, has been sentenced to 10 years in prison by the U.S. District Court for new narcotics offenses committed while he was on supervised release. The court's decision follows an investigation that revealed Powell had sent a kilogram of cocaine from Houston to Cincinnati in June 2023.
Further searches conducted in October 2023 at properties linked to Powell on Compton Road and Bassett Road led law enforcement officials to uncover cocaine, fentanyl, multiple firearms, and over $28,000 in cash. At the time of these discoveries, Powell was under supervised release after serving a previous 15-year sentence for drug and firearm-related crimes.
In September 2023, Powell sought early termination of his supervised release, arguing that the "barriers of supervision" hindered his ability to "excel as he knows he is capable." However, he later pleaded guilty in October 2024 to charges of possessing with intent to distribute cocaine and fentanyl.
The sentencing was announced by Kelly A. Norris, Acting United States Attorney for the Southern District of Ohio; Hamilton County Sheriff Charmaine McGuffey; and other members of the Regional Enforcement Narcotics Unit. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Ryan A. Keefe and Timothy D. Oakley under the oversight of U.S. District Judge Matthew W. McFarland.