A Cleveland man finds himself facing a lengthy prison term after a series of drug law violations. Deion Thompson, 39, has been sentenced to a total of 17 years for trafficking fentanyl and cocaine, and for violating his parole. This sentence comes following a guilty plea in July 2025, acknowledging the weight of the conspiracy to distribute controlled substances as well as possession with intent to distribute.
U.S. District Judge Pamela A. Barker imposed the sentences on Jan. 5, breaking them down to 180 months for the drug charges and an additional two-year term for Thompson's parole violation. The parole had been imposed for a 2014 conviction for a similar offense—possession with intent to distribute heroin. According to court documents obtained by the U.S. Department of Justice, Thompson was actively trafficking from around April 1 to July 12, 2023, conspiring with at least one other person to move fentanyl, crack cocaine, and regular cocaine throughout the Greater Cleveland area.
The case against Thompson, which resulted from the Southeast Area Law Enforcement Task Force and the FBI Cleveland Division's investigation, led to search warrants being executed at three related residences. Agents collected staggering quantities of drugs during the raids—over 500 fentanyl pills, five pounds of methamphetamine, over one kilogram of fentanyl analogues, one kilogram of cocaine, and 28 grams of crack cocaine. In addition to drugs, cash amounting to more than $19,000 and a motorcycle were seized, alongside firearms, ammunition, and drug packaging paraphernalia.
Thompson wasn't alone in his illicit activities; co-defendant Murray Foster, 38, also from Cleveland, has already started serving a 10-year term after pleading guilty to his part in the drug ring. The prosecution's lead, Assistant United States Attorney Payum Doroodian, punched out the case as a strong and clear message to drug traffickers in the Northern District of Ohio. However, getting caught red-handed with loaded handguns, a rifle, a shotgun, and the paraphernalia for drug distribution, Foster's sentence shows yet again how the criminal justice system takes a firm stance against those contributing to the ongoing drug epidemic.
