Drug Conspirator Sentenced to 30 Years for Distributing Crack Cocaine and Heroin

COVINGTON, KY—The United States Attorney’s Office and the FBI jointly announced today that Lazelle Maxwell, 37, of Akron, Ohio, was sentenced yesterday to 30 years in prison for distributing crack cocaine and heroin.

In September 2009, Maxwell was found guilty after a six day jury trial. The evidence at trial established that Maxwell led a group of several individuals responsible for distributing more than 400 grams of crack and more than 500 grams of heroin over a period of approximately five months in 2008.

The organization sold these drugs on Monroe Street in Covington and Washington Street in Newport. The conspiracy involved another Covington location near John G. Carlisle school that was used to process and distribute the drugs.

Maxwell was indicted in April of 2009.

Five other individuals have already been convicted of participating in this trafficking ring and sentenced to prison terms. Darryl Ross was sentenced to 180 months, Preston Bell was sentenced to 152 months, Christopher Shields received 133 months, Kelly Henderson received 70 months, and Marc Peeples was sentenced to 36 months.

Under federal law, Maxwell must serve 85 percent of his prison sentence, and, upon release, will be under the supervision of the United States Probation Office for 10 years.

The investigation was conducted by the FBI Safe Streets Task Force and the Northern Kentucky Drug Strike Force. The United States was represented by Assistant United States Attorney Anthony J. Bracke.