LEXINGTON, Ky., - Two Detroit men have been sentenced to federal prison for drug and firearm offenses. U.S. District Judge Danny C. Reeves formally sentenced each, on Friday, Feb. 2, 2018.
Marcella Lorenzo Dunbar, 37, was sentenced to 105 months in prison for conspiracy to distribute oxycodone and being a felon in possession of a firearm.
Gerald Jones, 31, was sentenced to 51 months in prison for conspiracy to distribute oxycodone.
Dunbar and Jones previously admitted that they had traveled from Detroit to Winchester in late 2016, and began selling oxycodone to local users. Dunbar also admitted renting a house in Winchester so that he and Jones could sell oxycodone. When arrested, Dunbar and Gerald Jones were found in possession of 1,550 oxycodone pills for sale, a firearm, and $4,750 in drug proceeds. Dunbar also admitted that he had previously been convicted of a felony and was prohibited from possessing a firearm. Dunbar and Jones pleaded guilty to the charges in October 2017.
Under federal law, Dunbar and Jones must serve 85 percent of their prison sentences; and, upon release, they will be under the supervision of the United States Probation Office for 5 years and 3 years, respectfully.
Robert M. Duncan, Jr., United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Kentucky; Michael Klinger, Field Office Director, Department of Homeland Security, Detroit; Richard Sanders, Commissioner of the Kentucky State Police; and Clark County Sheriff Berl Perdue, Jr., jointly announced the sentences.
These cases were prosecuted as part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program that has been historically successful in bringing together all levels of law enforcement to reduce violent crime and make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. Attorney General Jeff Sessions has made turning the tide of rising violent crime in America a top priority. In October 2017, as part of a series of actions to address this crime trend, Attorney General Sessions announced the reinvigoration of PSN and directed all U.S. Attorney’s Offices to develop a district crime reduction strategy that incorporates the lessons learned since PSN launched in 2001.
The Department of Homeland Security, Kentucky State Police, and the Clark County Sheriff’s Office conducted the investigation. Assistant United States Attorney Roger W. West represented the United States.
Source: U.S. Department of Justice, Office of the United States Attorneys
