Canton man indicted for trafficking crack cocaine

A Canton man was indicted on crack cocaine trafficking charges, said David A. Sierleja, Acting U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of Ohio.

Jamel A. Smith, 45, was indicted on five counts of possession with the intent to distribute and distribution of crack cocaine.

Smith sold crack cocaine on five separate occasions in the Canton area. In total, Smith sold approximately seventy grams of crack cocaine, according to the indictment.

The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Aaron P. Howell following an investigation by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the Canton Police Department.

An indictment is only a charge and is not evidence of guilt. A defendant is entitled to a fair trial in which it will be the United States of America’s burden to prove each defendant’s guilt beyond a reasonable doubt.

If convicted, the defendant’s sentence will be determined by the Court after review of factors unique to this case, including the defendants’ prior criminal record, if any, the defendants’ roles in the offense and the characteristics of the violations.