Cincinnati Man Receives 20-Year Sentence for Middletown Crack Cocaine Dealing
| U.S. Attorney’s Office February 18, 2009 |
CINCINNATI—Albert Ward, age 30, of Cincinnati was sentenced in United States District Court here today to 20 years’ imprisonment for his role in distributing crack cocaine in Middletown in 2007. A jury convicted Ward in September 2008 of one count of possession with intent to distribute crack cocaine and one count of maintaining a place for the purpose of distributing crack cocaine.
Gregory G. Lockhart, United States Attorney for the Southern District of Ohio, Keith L. Bennett, Special Agent in Charge, Federal Bureau of Investigation, Cincinnati Field Division (FBI), and Middletown Police Chief Greg Schwarber announced the sentence imposed today by Senior United States District Judge Sandra S. Beckwith.
Middletown Police officers arrested Ward, Brandon Davis of Middletown, and Kyron Thomas of Cincinnati at a motel there on June 2, 2007. Officers responding to a domestic violence call nearby were directed to the motel, according to testimony at trial. Ward attempted to leave the motel, but was detained while officers searched the room. During the search of the motel room by Middletown Police officers, they found 766 grams of crack cocaine Ward concealed inside a refrigerator. Ward was then arrested.
A grand jury indicted the three men on June 20, 2007. Davis pleaded guilty on December 13, 2007 to one count of possession of a firearm by a convicted felon and was sentenced to 34 months’ imprisonment. Thomas pleaded guilty to possession of 2.8 grams of crack cocaine that he had on his person and was sentenced to approximately 15 months’ imprisonment.
“Middletown Police arrested Ward in June 2007 and he has been behind bars ever since,” Lockhart said. “This sends a message that we will use federal laws to remove people from the streets when they pose threats to the community.”
During the sentencing hearing, Judge Beckwith noted that this was the largest seizure of crack cocaine in recent history in Middletown and said it had “a significant impact on the community.”
Lockhart commended the investigation by Middletown Police and FBI agents and Assistant U.S. Attorneys Kenneth L. Parker and Christy L. Muncy, who prosecuted the case.