Columbus father and son sentenced after selling meth to undercover agents
COLUMBUS, Ohio (WCMH) -- A father and son who lead a drug trafficking scheme in Columbus have been sentenced to prison after selling methamphetamine to undercover agents.
Eric Dewayne Turner Jr., 33, was sentenced in federal court on Wednesday to eight years in prison for possessing and distributing the narcotics, according to Kenneth Parker, the U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Ohio. His father, Eric Dewayne Turner Sr., 50, pleaded guilty in May last year and was sentenced on Jan. 16 to 24 years in prison.
Turner Sr. led the drug trafficking organization and owned a "trap house" in the 1400 block of East 22nd Ave. in Columbus, court records show. He also had an apartment inside The Reserve at Sharon Wood Apartments where he distributed illicit narcotics.
Parker said Turner Sr. sold large amounts of meth to undercover agents on four occasions. The "controlled purchases," plus a fifth transaction that was not completed, involved nearly eight kilograms of meth.
In addition to four counts of distributing meth, Turner Sr. pleaded guilty to one count of possessing with intent to distribute the drug and one count of illegally possessing a firearm after a prior felony conviction.
Turner Jr. conspired with his father from September 2022 through January 2023 and personally participated in two of the drug transactions, Parker said. He transported the packages of meth for his father to sell to the undercover agents.
When Turner Jr. was arrested, he possessed more than $16,000 in suspected drug trafficking funds, Parker noted.