A key figure behind a major fentanyl and cocaine ring in Steubenville has been sentenced to at least 16 years in prison.
Jefferson County Common Pleas Judge Michelle Miller handed down the sentence after the man was convicted on six counts of drug possession involving large quantities of cocaine and fentanyl.
According to The Herald-Star, 41-year-old Lavocni Brown, previously of Pennsylvania Avenue, must also forfeit several vehicles — a 2014 Cadillac CTS, a 2018 Audi A6, and a 2020 Chevrolet Suburban — along with $6,540 in cash. Authorities identified these as profits from the drug operation.
Grand jury charges Brown, others in one of county’s largest drug busts
Brown’s indictment followed December raids by the Jefferson County Drug Task Force.
During the operation, officers recovered over 18 pounds of cocaine and fentanyl from properties tied to Brown and two alleged accomplices: Lionel Robert Lindsey Jr., 52, of McDowell Avenue, and Cherie R. Nelson, 55, of Lawson Avenue.
Jefferson County Prosecutor Jane Hanlin told The Herald-Star that Brown was classified as a major drug offender based on the volume of drugs involved.
Once released from prison, Brown will also serve two to five years of post-release supervision.
Investigators allege Brown ran his drug network from within the Jefferson County Jail, where he was being held on unrelated misdemeanor charges during the time of the raids. Authorities say he continued giving instructions to Lindsey and Nelson from behind bars.
As of now, Lindsey and Nelson have not been sentenced.
Hanlin commended Sgt. Rob Cook of the Steubenville Police Department and the Jefferson County Drug Task Force for their thorough investigation, crediting them with dismantling Brown’s widespread and harmful drug operation in the region.