A Summit County resident has received a 20-year federal prison sentence for supplying methamphetamine and cocaine in the Akron area. Leverne Eugene Fortson, 51, of Akron, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge John R. Adams to 210 months in prison after being convicted in August of conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute methamphetamine and cocaine, as well as possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine.
In addition to the initial sentence, Fortson was ordered to serve 10 years of supervised release following his imprisonment. The court also imposed an extra 30 months for violating supervised release, resulting in a total sentence of 240 months.
According to court documents, between January and July 2024, Fortson and co-conspirator Jeffery Scott Goldbach, 54, from Mantua, Ohio, operated a drug trafficking scheme that distributed significant amounts of methamphetamine and cocaine throughout Summit and Portage counties and nearby areas. Law enforcement executed search warrants at both men’s homes. At Fortson’s residence in Akron, investigators found nearly 55 grams of pure methamphetamine, drug paraphernalia, and mason jars containing fake urine. At Goldbach’s home, authorities discovered a semi-automatic rifle along with over 22 grams of cocaine and about 55 grams of methamphetamine.
Goldbach pleaded guilty in August for his involvement in the conspiracy. He was sentenced to six-and-a-half years (78 months) in prison and ten years of supervised release.
The investigation into this drug trafficking organization was led by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF), with support 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.
“The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Joseph P. Dangelo and Yasmine Makridis for the Northern District of Ohio.”
