Cincinnati Man Convicted of Drug Trafficking Charges

COVINGTON, Ky.- A Cincinnati, Ohio, man was convicted on Thursday by a federal jury in Covington for drug trafficking charges.

After one hour and twenty minutes of deliberation, following a four-day trial, the jury convicted 30-year-old Devante Garrett of conspiracy to distribute controlled substances, possession of 100 grams or more of a fentanyl analogue with intent to distribute, and possession of cocaine with intent to distribute.

Evidence at trial showed that Garrett conspired with others to distribute more than 275 grams of a substance containing a fentanyl analogue, more than 40 grams of fentanyl, and cocaine.  He was arrested in Kenton County on October 14, 2023, with these drugs hidden behind the panel of the driver’s door of the vehicle he was operating.  Garrett was previously arrested in Boone County on August 17, 2023, while in possession of $6,440 in cash and a scale containing residue of fentanyl and cocaine.  Additional witness testimony showed that Garrett, a Cincinnati, Ohio, resident had been regularly traveling to Lexington, Kentucky, with others to distribute fentanyl and cocaine from May 2023 through August 2023.    

Paul McCaffrey, Acting United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Kentucky, Jim Scott, Special Agent in Charge, DEA, Louisville Field Division;  Phillip J. Burnett, Jr., Commissioner of the Kentucky State Police; Chief Brian Valenti, Covington Police Department; Chief Bill Birkenhauer, Highland Heights Police Department; and Sheriff Michael Helmig, Boone County Sheriff’s Office, jointly announced the conviction.

The investigation was conducted by DEA, KSP, Covington Police Department, Highland Heights Police Department, and Boone County Sheriff’s Office. The U.S. Attorney’s Office was represented in the case by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Andrew Spievack and Tony Bracke.

Garrett will appear for sentencing on August 21. He faces a mandatory minimum of 10 years and a maximum of life in prison. However, the Court must consider the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and the applicable federal sentencing statutes before imposing a sentence.

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