A Hamilton man has been handed a hefty 15-year prison sentence for a slew of narcotics and firearms violations. Joshua M. Riley, 46, found himself on the wrong side of the law after a package containing over two kilograms of methamphetamine was intercepted by authorities, according to a press release by the U.S. Attorney's Office for the Southern District of Ohio.

Following the intercepted shipment, law enforcement executed a search warrant at Riley's Symmes Avenue home. The search laid bare a trove of illicit goods: about 1,000 fentanyl pills, 40 pounds of marijuana, cocaine, paraphernalia linked to drug trafficking, swanky jewelry, and some $18,500 in cash. At least 15 firearms, including stolen ones and a semi-automatic shotgun, were found among magazines and ammunition. A previously convicted felon, Riley was not legally permitted to own these firearms.

In mid-2024, Riley pled guilty to charges of intent to distribute significant amounts of methamphetamine and fentanyl, along with possession of cocaine and marijuana. Additionally, he conceded to the illegal possession of a firearm as a convicted felon. The bulk of his crimes, however, didn't preclude his attempting to smuggle drugs, like suboxone strips and amphetamines, into the Butler County Jail while incarcerated.

U.S. Attorney Kenneth L. Parker, alongside USPIS Inspector in Charge Lesley Allison and Butler County Sheriff Richard K. Jones, presided over the announcement of Riley's sentence, which U.S. District Court Judge Jeffery P. Hopkins handed down. This case is notably a part of the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF) investigation, aiming at gutting high-level drug trafficking operations that bedevil the nation.