A man from Summit County has been sentenced to 20 years in federal prison for his involvement in distributing methamphetamine and cocaine in Summit and Portage counties and nearby areas.
Leverne Eugene Fortson, 51, of Akron, received a sentence of 210 months (17.5 years) from U.S. District Judge John R. Adams after being found guilty by a federal jury in August on charges including 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 prison term, Fortson was ordered to serve 10 years of supervised release after imprisonment. The court also imposed an additional 30 months for violating supervised release conditions, bringing the total sentence to 240 months (20 years). Judge Adams issued the sentence on October 28.
According to court documents, between January and July 2024, Fortson and Jeffery Scott Goldbach, 54, of Mantua, Ohio, ran a drug trafficking operation distributing methamphetamine and cocaine throughout Summit and Portage counties and the surrounding region. Law enforcement executed search warrants at both men’s homes. At Fortson’s residence in Akron, authorities found 54.7 grams of pure methamphetamine, drug paraphernalia, and mason jars containing fake urine. At Goldbach’s home, agents seized a semi-automatic rifle, 22 grams of cocaine, about 55.5 grams of methamphetamine, and drug paraphernalia.
Goldbach pleaded guilty in August for his part in the conspiracy and was sentenced to 78 months in prison along with ten years of supervised release.
The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF) led the investigation into this case with support from the Portage County Sheriff’s Office and Akron Police Department.
The prosecution was handled by Assistant United States Attorneys Joseph P. Dangelo and Yasmine Makridis for the Northern District of Ohio.
