Rebecca C. Lutzko United States Attorney for the Northern District of Ohio | U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of Ohio
A Summit County man has been sentenced to 20 years in federal prison for his involvement in distributing methamphetamine and cocaine across Summit and Portage counties. Leverne Eugene Fortson, 51, of Akron, received the sentence from U.S. District Judge John R. Adams on October 28, following a federal jury conviction in August.
Fortson was found guilty of conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute methamphetamine and cocaine, as well as possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine. He was also ordered to serve 10 years of supervised release after completing his prison term. An additional 30 months were added due to a violation of supervised release conditions, resulting in a total sentence of 240 months.
According to court documents, Fortson and co-conspirator Jeffery Scott Goldbach, 54, from Mantua, Ohio, operated a drug trafficking scheme between January and July 2024 that supplied methamphetamine and cocaine throughout the region. Authorities executed search warrants at both men’s homes during the investigation. At Fortson’s residence in Akron, investigators seized over 54 grams of pure methamphetamine, drug paraphernalia, and mason jars containing fake urine. At Goldbach’s home, agents found a semi-automatic rifle along with more than 22 grams of cocaine and approximately 55 grams of methamphetamine.
Goldbach pleaded guilty in August for his role in the conspiracy and was sentenced to six-and-a-half years (78 months) in prison followed by ten years of supervised release.
The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF) led the investigation with support from the Portage County Sheriff’s Office and Akron Police Department.
“This drug trafficking organization was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF), with assistance from the Portage County Sheriff’s Office, and Akron Police Department.”
Assistant United States Attorneys Joseph P. Dangelo and Yasmine Makridis prosecuted the case for the Northern District of Ohio.
