A Dayton, Ohio, resident named Julius Cole has been sentenced to 132 months in prison for his role in aiding and abetting the intended distribution of a fentanyl analogue. The verdict was delivered by Chief U.S. District Judge David Bunning in Covington, Kentucky.
Court documents reveal that on January 3, 2024, Cole, alongside Earnest Bryson and Gerald Young, traveled from Dayton to Fort Wright, Kentucky. They intended to deliver a kilogram of fentanyl to a confidential informant working with law enforcement. Upon arrival, they were apprehended by authorities. During the search, an attempt to destroy the drugs by mixing them with Coca-Cola was discovered. Tests confirmed the presence of fentanyl and a fentanyl analogue, fluorofentanyl.
Further investigations linked Germel Hughes as a supplier of the drugs to Bryson, urging Cole to assist Bryson in the drug distribution. Cole acknowledged his involvement, admitting to aiding in the delivery plans.
The sentencing of Cole follows guilty pleas by Young and Hughes, who are due for sentencing on June 5 and July 16, respectively. Federal law mandates that Cole serve 85 percent of his sentence before being released under the supervision of the U.S. Probation Office for five years.
The sentence was jointly announced by Acting United States Attorney Paul McCaffrey for the Eastern District of Kentucky, John Nokes of the ATF's Louisville Field Division, and Phillip J. Burnett, Jr. from the Kentucky State Police. The investigation was carried out by the ATF and Kentucky State Police, with Assistant U.S. Attorney Kyle Winslow prosecuting the case.
