Powell gets about 13 years for Detroit-to-Warren drug op

CLEVELAND

A Warren man charged in a major drug distribution conspiracy has been sentenced to nearly 13 years in federal prison after his guilty plea.

Lewis C. Powell II, 37, drew a sentence of 12 years, 11 months Tuesday from Judge Donald C. Nugent of U.S. District Court here.

Powell pleaded guilty earlier to conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute heroin, crack cocaine, and cocaine between February 2012 and April 2013 and being an unlicensed firearms dealer during 2012.

Powell had initially been charged additionally with crack cocaine distribution, being a felon with body armor, using a phone to commit a felony, two counts of possessing a gun with an obliterated serial number, four counts of heroin distribution and 14 counts of being a felon with a gun. However, Steven M. Dettelbach, U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of Ohio, dropped those charges in the plea deal.

Dettelbach said Powell, who illegally sold large quantities of guns to someone he believed was a drug dealer, was part of a conspiracy that brought cocaine and heroin from Detroit to Warren.

Warren is “a community where we found that there was a drug pipeline coming from Detroit that was causing violence in that community, that was causing people in that community to be literally held hostage in their homes,” Dettelbach said in remarks outside the courthouse after the sentencing.

“We’re happy to be working with the federal agencies and with the state and local police departments to try and help that community to take back their streets,” he added.

Read the complete story in Wednesday's Vindicator or on Vindy.com.