Elyria man sentenced to more than 21 years in prison for drug distribution

A man was sentenced Thursday to more than 21 years in prison for drug distribution.

A jury convicted Terry L. Jackson in March of distributing cocaine and possession with intent to distribute fentanyl, cocaine and methamphetamine. U.S. District Judge Donald Nugent handed down the sentence.

The investigation of Jackson, 50, of Elyria, began in February 2019 when investigators discovered he was distributing drugs out a hotel in Elyria.

“This sentence is another example of the successful cooperation between federal, state and local law enforcement authorities in combating the scourge of opioids in our community,” Michelle Baeppler, the first assistant U.S. attorney said in a statement. “Repeat drug traffickers earn their way to federal court to answer for the poisoning of our communities.”

After undercover officers made a purchase from Jackson, investigators searched his hotel room. They seized fentanyl, crack cocaine and methamphetamine from the room.

Jackson was classified as a career offender because of previous felony convictions that included drug trafficking, felonious assault and robbery, according to court records. A career offender is a person who commits either a crime of violence or a drug offense after two prior felony convictions for violence or drugs.

The case was part of joint law enforcement probe called Operation Synthetic Opioid Surge (S.0.S.). The investigation aims to reduce the supply of deadly synthetic opioids and to identify wholesale distribution networks and international and domestic suppliers.

The FBI and the Ohio Adult Parole Authority assisted Elyria police in the case.