A Greenfield woman is heading to prison for a total of five years after pleading guilty to drug trafficking charges in Highland County Common Pleas Court on Monday.
According to court records, Jevonna Coleman, 52, was charged in a December indictment with a total of 28 counts, which consisted of fourth- and fifth-degree felony charges of heroin and cocaine possession and trafficking, a forfeiture specification, and a first-degree felony charge of engaging in a pattern of corrupt activity.
On Monday she plead guilty to five of those charges – four counts of trafficking in heroin in the vicinity of a school, and one count of trafficking in cocaine in the vicinity of a school. The charges are all fourth-degree felonies. She also agreed to forfeit a vehicle due to its use in the offenses.
As per the plea agreement, the remaining charges were dismissed.
Highland County Common Pleas Court Judge Rocky Coss followed the recommendation of the state and defense for 12 months in prison on each count. With each of those ordered to run consecutively, Coleman will spend five years in prison.
After entering her guilty pleas, Coleman told the judge she had “never been offered treatment.” She has been to prison once before, she said.
Coss asked her if she had ever considered seeking treatment on her own, to which she answered, “no.”
The judge said he thinks that if a person recognized they had a drug problem it seems they would seek treatment without having to be ordered to do so.
“There is nothing that says you have to wait until you are arrested to seek rehab,” he said.
In sentencing Coleman to five years on the charges, Coss said he was taking into consideration the nature of the charges, their seriousness, and the defendant’s history with the court.
Coleman is also ordered to pay restitution amounting to nearly $1,400.
As previously reported by The Times-Gazette, Jevonna Coleman, along with 49-year-old Jeffrey Coleman of Greenfield and 45-year-old Lawrence Edward Wheaton of Washington C.H, were also indicted in December and are named as co-defendant’s in her case.
Jeffrey Coleman’s case is still pending in the court, but Wheaton plead guilty to fourth-degree felony drug trafficking charges last month and was sentenced to prison.
According to the information released in December by the Highland County Sheriff’s Office, the arrests were the product of a U.S. 23 Major Crimes Task Force six-month long investigation. In all, the investigation led to more than 45 people being charged.
Reach Angela Shepherd at 937-393-3456, ext. 1681, or on Twitter @wordyshepherd.
