Acting U.S. Attorney Michelle M. Baeppler announced that Harvey Dishon Jones, 39, of Solon, was sentenced on Thursday, March 3, 2022, by U.S. District Judge John Adams to 262 months – or more than 21 years – in federal prison. Jones pleaded guilty in November of 2021 to participating in a drug trafficking conspiracy, possession with intent to distribute cocaine and possession of a firearm by a convicted felon.
“By choosing to repeatedly break the law and threaten the safety of our community, Mr. Jones has earned himself a lengthy term of incarceration in federal prison,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Michelle M. Baeppler. “Despite numerous opportunities to steer away from criminal conduct, Mr. Jones chose otherwise and will now face the consequences of his actions.”
“Drug trafficking is a pervasive crime and often the basis for additional criminal violations,” said FBI Special Agent in Charge Eric B. Smith. “The Federal Bureau of Investigation has an unwavering commitment to ensure cases are meticulously investigated and brought to justice. The partnerships formed with our federal, state, and local agencies have allowed our strike forces to have continued success in combating drug offenses.”
According to court documents, on November 8, 2019, members of the FBI’s Cartel, Gang, Narcotics, and Laundering Task Force executed a search warrant at an address in Cleveland where investigators suspected Jones was storing drugs and seized approximately 3.17 kilograms of cocaine. On December 16, 2020, pursuant to a DEA investigation, Jones was stopped in his vehicle by police. Officers searched the vehicle and discovered approximately 128 grams of cocaine, $25,000 in U.S. currency and a stolen .45 caliber handgun. Investigators later determined that Jones had stolen the firearm from a vehicle in Cleveland.
At the time of his traffic stop, Jones was on parole for a drug trafficking conviction in the Cuyahoga County Court of Common Pleas. Jones was also previously convicted of cocaine trafficking in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Ohio, wherein U.S. District Judge Christopher Boyko sentenced Jones to 151 months in federal custody.
Investigators with the FBI and DEA consolidated their investigations into Jones while working together as part of a Cleveland-area strike force.
Jones was sentenced as a career offender as a result of his previous convictions and thus received an enhanced penalty.
This investigation was conducted by the FBI, DEA, Euclid Police Department and the Ohio Adult Parole Authority. This case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Patrick P. Burke.