LEXINGTON, Ky. - Marquis Benjamin Lewis, 41, of Lexington, was sentenced to 87 months in federal prison today, by United States District Judge Danny C. Reeves, after pleading guilty to possessing cocaine and mixtures of heroin and fentanyl with the intent to distribute them, possessing a firearm as a convicted felon, and possessing a firearm in furtherance of drug trafficking.
On Oct. 24, 2018, officers with the Lexington Police Department executed a search warrant at Lewis’s residence in Lexington. During the search, officers located quantities of cocaine and mixtures of heroin and fentanyl, packaged separately for distribution, along with various items of drug paraphernalia. In addition to the narcotics, officers also located a total of four firearms, two of which were stolen, dispersed throughout Lewis’s residence and vehicle. Lewis had a prior felony conviction and was prohibited from owning or possessing a firearm.
Under federal law, Lewis must serve 85 percent of his sentence. Upon completion of his imprisonment, he will be under the supervision of the United States Probation Office for a period of three years.
Robert M. Duncan, Jr., United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Kentucky; Stuart L. Lowery, Special Agent in Charge, ATF, Louisville Field Division; and Lawrence Weathers, Chief of the Lexington Police Department, jointly made the announcement.
ATF and the Lexington Police Department conducted the investigation. The United States was represented by Assistant United States Attorney Francisco Villalobos II.
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. The PSN program was reinvigorated as part of the Department’s renewed focus on targeting violent criminals, directing all U.S. Attorney’s Offices to work in partnership with federal, state, local, and tribal law enforcement and the local community to develop effective, locally-based strategies to reduce violent crime.
Source: U.S. Department of Justice, Office of the United States Attorneys
