Vandalia man pleads guilty to possessing bulk amounts of fentanyl within elementary school zone

DAYTON, Ohio – A Vandalia man pleaded guilty in U.S. District Court today for possessing drugs in a school zone.

Jason Glanton, 34, of Vandalia, possessed with the intent to distribute 40 grams or more of fentanyl within 1,000 feet of Helke Elementary School on Randler Avenue in Vandalia.

According to court documents, in the fall of 2022, the FBI and Dayton Police Department began investigating Glanton for fentanyl trafficking. Law enforcement observed Glanton sell fentanyl on at least three occasions in January and February 2023.

While executing a search warrant in February 2023, agents discovered more than 136 grams of fentanyl, $9,000 in cash, five semiautomatic handguns and more than 300 rounds of ammunition in a basement office at Glanton’s home on Pool Avenue. Investigators also discovered three loaded handguns in the primary bedroom.

In Glanton’s Chevrolet Silverado, officials discovered $10,000 in cash in the trunk and a loaded handgun in a hidden compartment inside the vehicle.

When Glanton was arrested in March 2023, he had more than $1,700 in cash on him and nearly 75 grams of fentanyl in his Chrysler 300.

Glanton faces a prison sentence of five to 80 years. Sentencing of the defendant will be determined by the Court at a future hearing based on the advisory sentencing guidelines and other statutory factors.

This prosecution is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF) investigation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level drug traffickers, money launderers, and gangs that threaten the United States using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach that leverages the strengths of federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies against criminal networks.

Kenneth L. Parker, United States Attorney for the Southern District of Ohio; Orville O. Greene, Special Agent in Charge, Drug Enforcement Administration; J. William Rivers, Special Agent in Charge, Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), Cincinnati Division; and Dayton Police Chief Kamran Afzal announced the guilty plea entered today before Senior U.S. District Judge Thomas M. Rose. Assistant United States Attorney Kelly K. Rossi is representing the United States in this case.

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