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Man gets 7 years on drug charges
By Joe Gorman
YOUNGSTOWN
Judge Shirley Christian told a man she was sentencing to seven years in prison for selling drugs that she was disappointed in him.
Even though he apologized “for putting myself in this situation,” he never mentioned the families of the people who were affected by his crimes, the judge said.
“The people you sold this stuff to have families, also,” Judge Christian told Nathan Logan, 36, of Kirk Road, on Thursday. “I don’t hear any remorse from you. You were selling death to these people. I don’t hear any acknowledgment of that.”
Logan said he did regret that his actions hurt others, and he has urged young people, including his daughter, to not get involved in the drug trade.
Logan was sentenced in Mahoning County Common Pleas Court after pleading guilty to charges of possession of cocaine, trafficking in cocaine, engaging in a pattern of corrupt activity and money laundering. He was accused of being involved in a ring with three other people, including his brother, who were selling cocaine from 2012 to 2014 and laundering the profits by making and producing rap records.
As part of his plea agreement, Logan must also forfeit more than $30,000 in cash and two cars. Assistant Prosecutor Martin Desmond said the ring was selling large amounts of cocaine. The four were indicted after an investigation by the Mahoning Valley Law Enforcement Task Force.
Logan must serve at least 41/2 years of his sentence before he is eligible for judicial release. The sentence was recommended by Desmond and defense attorney James Wise.
Logan apologized to the judge, adding that being away from his children will be the most-painful part of his sentence.
“I’m sorry I put myself in this position,” Logan said. “I’ve never been in trouble before. ... I love them [children] to death; that’s my world. Being away from them hurts the most. Putting myself in this position to be away from them hurts the most.”
Logan said he has been telling young people to stay out of the drug trade because nothing good comes from it.
“You don’t want to go down that path,” Logan said.
Judge Christian said that is the message he needs to tell people, including his children.