Federal prosecutors say a longtime west side drug player is headed away for two decades. Petrocelli Robertson, 40, was sentenced Tuesday to 20 years in federal prison after authorities said he ran a drug-trafficking operation out of multiple Columbus homes and kept calling shots from behind bars. The sentence caps a multiyear federal probe into fentanyl, cocaine and methamphetamine distribution on the city’s west side.
According to the United States Attorney for the Southern District of Ohio, Robertson was part of a trafficking crew that sold fentanyl, cocaine and methamphetamine and continued to direct associates even after his arrest, as reported by WBNS. Prosecutors say he pleaded guilty to conspiracy and weapons counts tied to the scheme. Court filings reviewed by investigators state that the trafficking ran “from May 2021 until July 2024” out of residences on Racine and Dana avenues.
Federal court record
Court documents show Robertson entered guilty pleas in September 2025 to conspiracy to distribute mixtures containing fentanyl, cocaine and methamphetamine and to being a felon in possession of firearms. A magistrate judge recommended that the plea be accepted, and the district court adopted that recommendation as the case moved toward sentencing, according to the record on Leagle.
How investigators say the ring worked
Prosecutors allege Robertson ran stash houses on the west side and used a tight circle of associates to handle drug sales and cash. Even after his arrest, he allegedly continued to direct activity from state correctional facilities. The U.S. attorney’s office also laid out Robertson’s prior criminal history, including an earlier kidnapping-with-a-firearm conviction and later state-level misconduct for conveying drugs into a corrections facility and assaulting a corrections officer. Authorities say two of his four co-defendants are still awaiting sentence, and they identified his former wife, Amber Limoli, as having pleaded guilty to continuing the operation while he was jailed, per WBNS.
Legal context
Federal conspiracy and distribution counts tied to fentanyl and other controlled substances, along with weapons enhancements for felons in possession of firearms, carry lengthy prison terms and potential forfeiture. Judges weigh a defendant’s prior record, the quantities involved and the person’s role in the crime when deciding punishment. Robertson pleaded under a Rule 11 plea agreement, and docket entries describe the counts and plea terms that set the stage for sentencing, according to Leagle.
Two of Robertson’s four co-defendants remain scheduled for sentencing hearings this week, so related prosecutions in the case are still unfolding in Columbus. Prosecutors said the 20-year federal term reflects both the scope of the trafficking operation and Robertson’s criminal history.
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