Thomas Bentley, Fentanyl Trafficking and Possession of Firearm by a Convicted Felon, Kentucky 2022

A Boyd County man has been sentenced to 108 months in federal prison for his role in fentanyl trafficking and firearm possession.

Thomas Bentley, 38, of Ashland, was sentenced on Friday by U.S. District Judge David Bunning for possession with intent to distribute 40 grams or more of fentanyl and being a felon in possession of a firearm.

According to his plea agreement, on March 18, 2022, law enforcement responded to a trespassing call from a store in Cannonsburg, Ky., and found Bentley in his car in the parking lot. He was found with 53.8 grams of a heroin and fentanyl mixture, drug paraphernalia, $2,826 in cash, and a loaded firearm. Bentley admitted that he had previously been convicted of a felony and was prohibited from possessing a firearm.

Bentley had been convicted of possession of heroin in February 2021. He pleaded guilty to the current charge in August 2022.

Under federal law, Bentley must serve 85 percent of his prison sentence. He will be under the supervision of the U.S. Probation Office for four years after his release from prison.

The investigation was conducted by the DEA and Boyd County Sheriff's Office. The United States was represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Emily Greenfield.

This case was prosecuted as part of the Department of Justice's 'Project Safe Neighborhoods' Program (PSN), which is a nationwide, crime reduction strategy aimed at decreasing violent crime in communities.

Source: https://www.justice.gov/usao-edky/pr/boyd-county-man-sentenced-108-months-fentanyl-trafficking-and-possession-firearm