Clarett pleads guilty to felony charges

Staff report

YOUNGSTOWN

Michael Clarett Jr. of Youngstown could face more than 20 years in prison after pleading guilty to several felony drug charges.

Clarett was set to go on trial Monday before Judge R. Scott Krichbaum of Mahoning County Common Pleas Court for four counts of trafficking in heroin. He entered into a plea agreement with prosecutors, however, before the start of his trial.

Clarett is facing a total of 23 years in prison and two forfeiture specifications. Under the terms of the plea agreement, prosecutors have agreed to recommend four years in prison, two of which are mandatory, in exchange for Clarett’s guilty plea. Judge Krichbaum, at the time of sentencing, is not bound by any recommendation from prosecutors.

Clarett, brother of Youngstown native and former Ohio State football standout Maurice Clarett, will be sentenced July 27.

Clarett was arrested at 2 p.m. April 5 at an address on St. Andrews Drive in Canfield. A county grand jury secretly indicted him some time ago.

The April arrest is not Clarett’s first brush with the law concerning drug activity. He was arrested in early March after an investigation in Alliance.

Officers from the Alliance Police Department said officers from two law-enforcement agencies were conducting an investigation and witnessed a package delivered by U.S. mail to an Alliance address, then watched Clarett pick up the package.

Clarett was pulled over after picking up the package.

Officers found 13 pounds of suspected marijuana inside the car wrapped in 1-pound bundles. Police also found $3,200 inside the car.

Clarett and a woman inside the car, Koneca Gilmore, 22, of Dean Street, were charged with felony trafficking in marijuana. Police also arrested the man living in the house where the package was delivered, Michael Serafin, 22, of Alliance, and charged him with felony trafficking in marijuana.