November 2, 2015

Kenton County Man Sentenced to 200 Months for Trafficking Heroin

COVINGTON—A Covington, Ky., man has been sentenced to 200 months for distributing heroin in Kenton County.

On Friday, U.S. District Judge Amul Thapar sentenced Johnny J. Shands for distribution of heroin. Shands’ criminal history qualified him as a career offender and led to an enhanced sentence. His prior convictions include weapons offenses and trafficking cocaine. Under federal law, Shands must serve at least 85 percent of his prison sentence; and following the completion of his sentence, he will be under the supervision of the U.S. Probation Office for 12 years.

According to court records, Shands sold heroin to undercover officers, on multiple occasions, in early 2015. Authorities conducted searches at multiple residences and found cash, heroin and fentanyl that belonged to Shands. Shands pled guilty in July and admitted that he distributed between 100 and 400 grams of heroin.

Kerry B. Harvey, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Kentucky, and Howard S. Marshall, Special Agent in Charge, Federal Bureau of Investigation, jointly made the announcement.

The investigation was conducted by the FBI Safe Streets Task Force and the Covington Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Tony Bracke prosecuted this case on behalf of the federal government.