Jessica Renee Hart, a 37-year-old resident of Athens, Ohio, faced a substantial prison sentence following her recent court appearance before Judge George P. McCarthy on January 17, 2024. Hart was charged with multiple felonies and a misdemeanor, spanning from drug trafficking to escape attempts.
The charges against Hart included Trafficking in a Fentanyl-Related Compound and Possession of a Fentanyl-Related Compound, both first-degree felonies; Aggravated Possession of Drugs, a third-degree felony; Having Weapons while under Disability, also a third-degree felony; Cruelty to Animals, a second-degree misdemeanor; and Escape, a second-degree felony.
The case against Hart unfolded following the execution of search warrants on November 8, 2022, at a camper on Salem Road and a residence on Campbell Road in Athens. While the camper was vacant, Hart was the sole occupant at the Campbell Road location. Authorities discovered large quantities of suspected Fentanyl, firearms, and cash during the search. Hart was arrested and taken to the Southeastern Ohio Regional Jail, where she later attempted escape by jumping from the second tier of a cell block.
Following her indictment by an Athens County Grand Jury on November 14, 2022, and subsequent arraignment, Hart remained in jail throughout the case proceedings. The court handed down a mandatory sentence of nine to thirteen and a half years, with an order for the forfeiture of the seized money and weapons.