Buckeye Reporter

A Jamaican citizen has been sentenced to more than eight years in prison after pleading guilty to drug conspiracy, possession with intent to distribute controlled substances, and illegal reentry charges. O’Shane Christopher Smith, 35, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge John R. Adams in Cleveland. As part of his sentence, Smith will be required to surrender to the Bureau of Immigration and Customs Enforcement for deportation following his release.

Court records show that on January 20, 2023, federal agents intercepted a suspicious package sent from a UPS store in Inglewood, California. After securing a search warrant, investigators discovered approximately 11 pounds of methamphetamine inside the parcel. Authorities conducted a controlled delivery of the package to an address in Cleveland.

Smith arrived at the residence, collected the package, and left in a Jeep vehicle. Ohio State Highway Patrol officers attempted to stop him shortly after he left with the drugs. Smith tried to evade law enforcement but crashed into a tree and fled on foot before being apprehended after a brief chase.

During questioning, Smith admitted he had agreed to deliver the parcel containing drugs for $1,000—half paid upfront and half upon completion. He also acknowledged entering the United States illegally from Mexico near San Diego without authorization from U.S. officials after having previously been removed from the country in March 2021.

The investigation was carried out by several agencies including the DEA Detroit Division’s Cleveland Field Office, Cuyahoga County Sheriff’s Office, U.S. Border Patrol-Sandusky Bay Station, and Ohio State Highway Patrol.

Assistant United States Attorneys James P. Lewis and Elizabeth Crook prosecuted the case for the Northern District of Ohio.

According to authorities: "This case is part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations, and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime."