Sentence Handed Down for Trafficking of Synthetic Opiates

PORTLAND, Ore. (AP) – A suburban Portland man who distributed counterfeit oxycodone pills laced with fentanyl has been sentenced to nearly five years in federal prison.

The Oregonian/OregonLive reports 37-year-old Johnell Cleveland was sentenced Thursday. He pleaded guilty to conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute and distribution of controlled substance, possession of an unregistered firearm and two counts of money laundering.

In March 2018, Portland police, along with FBI and Internal Revenue Service agents, raided Cleveland’s home in Happy Valley, a storage unit in Clackamas and a stash house in Vancouver, Washington. At Cleveland’s home, investigators found about 312 purported oxycodone pills, seven firearms and $27,327 in cash.

At the Vancouver house, agents seized another 989 of suspected oxycodone pills and $125,040 in cash.

IRS Agent Scott McGeachy wrote in an affidavit that Cleveland also goes by aliases including “Mak Billion” and makes rap music videos.

Information from: The Oregonian/OregonLive, http://www.oregonlive.com

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