A 31-year-old man from Newport, Ky., Derrick Buchanan, has been sentenced to 87 months in prison for armed marijuana trafficking and firearm possession.
On Thursday, U.S. District Judge David Bunning handed down the sentence to Buchanan, who was found guilty of possession of a firearm in furtherance of drug trafficking and possession of a firearm by a convicted felon.
According to court documents, law enforcement made a controlled purchase of marijuana from Buchanan at his residence in Newport. An informant reported that Buchanan had a gun openly displayed during the drug transaction. Following the purchase, law enforcement searched Buchanan’s residence and found 2.66 kilograms of marijuana, $2,010 in cash, and a loaded handgun that matched the informant’s description.
Buchanan admitted to law enforcement that he possessed the firearm to protect himself, his drugs, and his proceeds from robbery. He was aware of his previous conviction for trafficking in marijuana in Campbell County Circuit Court in 2021 and was prohibited from possessing a firearm.
Under federal law, Buchanan must serve 85 percent of his prison sentence. Upon his release from prison, he will be under the supervision of the U.S. Probation Office for three years.
The investigation was conducted by the DEA and the Northern Kentucky Drug Strike Force, with Assistant U.S. Attorney Tony Bracke prosecuting the case on behalf of the United States. This case was prosecuted as part of the Department of Justice’s “Project Safe Neighborhoods” Program, a nationwide crime reduction strategy aimed at decreasing violent crime in communities.
The U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Kentucky, Carlton S. Shier, IV, along with Special Agent in Charge Orville O. Greene of the DEA Detroit Field Division and Director Scott Hardcorn of the Northern Kentucky Drug Strike Force, jointly announced the sentence. The case serves as a reminder of the ongoing efforts to combat armed drug trafficking and firearm possession in the region.
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Key Facts
- State: Kentucky
- Agency: DOJ USAO
- Category: Drug Trafficking|Fraud & Financial Crimes|Violent Crime|Sex Crimes|Cybercrime|Public Corruption|Weapons|Human Trafficking|White Collar Crime|Organized Crime
- Source: Official Source ↗
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